


Forged in Fire

by SeigePhoenix



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Typical Violence, F/M, Mutual Pining, ptsd mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-08-17 01:19:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 60,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16506503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeigePhoenix/pseuds/SeigePhoenix
Summary: Siobhan, a Hunter in the Tower, must work with everything against her to get her Light and everyone else's back.  She'll take the fight to Ghaul and show him just what a Guardian is made of.





	1. Chapter 1

_Our names won’t be remembered/If we die like trampled flowers/I refuse to forgotten/Written off as less than worthless_

\- AmaLee _Guren No Yumiya_ (Attack on Titan English cover)

“Guardian, you need to get out there and bring the fight to the Cabal. Use my armory.” Siobhan stopped as her fireteam reached Lord Shaxx and the Crucible armory. Her companions already headed into the armory, bypassing the workers, their anger ablaze in their Light as it sparked against hers. They didn’t appreciate feeling helpless as Cabal attacked their Tower and home. Something caused her to pause and take in her surroundings. The civilians huddled alongside the doors to the armory, their bodies shaking as the explosions rocked the building. They avoided meeting her eyes, it cut at her to see the resignation in their gazes. That was the look of one who had accepted death. Siobhan looked up as Jareth and Annalise chose their weapons and loaded the clips. They’d passed over the people clinging to each other outside of Shaxx’s armory. She turned her gaze to her Fireteam and back to the people. She had a duty to help defend the Tower, and her finger itched to slam her knife into a Cabal’s skull. The satisfying screech as her blade sliced through metal and into the delicate skin of their jowls. Yet, she knew these were workers. They weren’t soldiers, Siobhan knew they could defend themselves if it came down to it. But who would help them? A Guardian’s duty was to defend the Tower, but they also had a duty to protect those who could not fight for themselves. The sight of a child’s hand curl around the older woman’s solidified her decision. Siobhan had always been a sucker for kids. Her fireteam shared an unspoken understanding. Years of being together and fighting alongside each other gave them that bond. With a single nod, they went their separate ways. The two headed on into the Tower while Siobhan would stay behind and help guard the civilians.

“Guardian! The Speaker needs you!” Shaxx’s voice boomed over the screeching metal and explosions. The people shrank back as the Crucible master turned his wrath onto the Guardian that stood in front of him. She was almost a solid foot shorter than he was but her stubbornness was renowned. The one that was leaving the Speaker and her duty behind. The workers watched, in amazement, as the Guardian refused to back down from Shaxx. She stood straight and tall, even as her head barely reached Shaxx’s shoulder. They admired her bravery at standing up to the Titan, even as they questioned her sanity for doing so. Siobhan could feel his Light snap against hers, sparking with impatience and fury.

“The Speaker has all the Guardians he can muster! Who will stand for those innocents that are trapped by the Cabal!?” Siobhan swept her arm out towards the workers. “I will stand and fight for them. My duties as a Guardian do not trump an innocent’s life.” Siobhan turned, her cloak fluttering behind her, and addressed the leader of the group. Dismissal stung far more than he cared to admit, but the bitter taste of being wrong was far worse. She was right, and damn it he knew it.

Shaxx watched as the Guardian spoke quietly to the leader, assuring her that she’d follow and defend them as best as she could from the Cabal. He stepped forward and laid a hand on the Hunter’s shoulder. “I know a way to get out unseen.” The group got up some of the weapons from the armory as they headed towards the exit. The tunnels muted the sounds of battle above them, the darkness broken by Siobhan’s Ghost as he lit the way for them. The approach of footsteps, rapid and heavy, brought their attention up. Siobhan instantly went on alert as she recognized the tread pattern, she’d heard enough on the Dreadnaught. Instinct took over. Shaxx had barely time to shout out before the ring of rapid steps sounded beside him, as the Hunter ran towards the horde. She leapt into the air as the void energy shaped itself into a bow in her hands. _Nightstalker_. The _Shadowshot_ rang out in the tunnel, sharp and true, as it tethered the enemies, allowing the group to deal damage to them all as the damage one took was shared by all. Siobhan dashed forward as some Legionnaires broke through. Shaxx was dealing with the stragglers when he heard the shout. He turned and saw the Hunter slam her knife into the throat of the Cabal, her helmet masking her expression. The Cabal fell at her feet and the way was clear once again. The group pressed further into the tunnels, reaching the exit without any other issue.

As they reached the outskirts of the City, the cage snapped shut around the Traveler. Siobhan fell to her knees behind the group, clutching at Arawn like a lifeline. Her body felt ripped in half, as if her part of her soul had been ripped from her. It was _cold_. She supposed it was in a way, as she knew something was wrong as she curled around the little Ghost as her body fell to the ground, the trauma of losing the Light too much. Her mind scrambled as she struggled to gain her footing on the slippery slope. Shaxx had fallen to his knees, his hand clutched at his chest. Kara floated alongside his head, her optical light dimmer than normal. He felt _empty_ a yawning gap in his soul. He looked up as her whimper reached his ears. He looked over and saw how still she was, his heart thundered in his chest as panic licked at his throat. He heard the panicked shouts from the civilians.

“What happened?” The leader of the group reached out to Shaxx as two others went over to Siobhan. Shaxx stood, a little unsteady, and shook his head. The improbable seemed to have happened, their Light was _gone_. It was frightening, he glanced down at his Ghost shivering in his palm. The soul-shattering pain of having his Light ripped out was far easier to deal with than the thought that his death would be final the next time he experienced it. Centuries of being able to resurrect at a moment’s notice was gone, it made his head reel. The sheer magnitude of what they faced now was too immense. Start small, prioritize survival. It gave him something to cling to, something familiar.

“Something happened to the Traveler. Our Light. Our Light is gone.” He watched as the two women helped the Hunter to stand. She was unsteady at first but recovered quickly to stand beside them without support. Arawn and Kara, spoke about the Traveler being disconnected from Guardians. And what consequences that would have.

“I. I can’t revive you.” Arawn looked up at Siobhan, the pain clear in his glowing eye. She stroked a hand over his shell, no longer pristine, and nodded. They’d have to be careful if they wanted to survive. She’d known something was wrong when it seemed her very soul pulsed white-hot inside of her. Then that heat had been ripped from her, leaving an empty, frozen chasm behind. She and Arawn turned to look up as the City burned, grief clawing, raw and hot, in her throat. Her friends, her _family_ , were being destroyed and there was nothing she could do to help them. Helpless, that was a feeling she did not care for. She vowed to find a way to end it, and bring back their Light. It seemed so far and improbable, but she’d dealt with far worse odds before. She’d been branded a crazy fool before, but that had never stopped her. The loss of her Light was more problematic but that was also something that could be worked around. That brief glance at a remnant of the Traveler, a shard standing strong in a strange location, a strange vision as the Light pulsed inside of her. It was a starting point, they needed to get the civilians to safety first. Siobhan clutched at it like a lifeline as Arawn turned and spoke to the group.

“There was a beacon advertising safe harbor shortly before the Traveler was caged. I managed to get the coordinates.” The civilians nodded and they agreed to travel to the coordinates, it seemed to be the only course open to them. Shaxx walked with the Hunter, and kept his eye on the route. He’d heard her teammates yell her name outside the armory. Siobhan. A Hunter. It clicked in his mind. This was the one who fell the Templar in the Vault of Glass, the one who went toe to toe with Oryx in his own realm next to Nevia. She wasn’t a frequent participant in the Crucible, she’d withdrawn from it after the Vault of Glass. He hoped that her lack of skill in that area wouldn’t slow down their group if they had to fight. He was impressed with this Hunter’s bravery, however, as few would have done what she did. The woman had refused to abandon innocents despite knowing what her duty was, and she’d risked censure for it. She’d ignored orders to rally with the Speaker, choosing to save civilians instead. He didn’t know what the cost of that was, but likely the Speaker had already been lost. If a few lives could be saved, then it would be worth it. There was a spark inside of her that he’d seen in only a few Guardians, the ones that went on to greatness. He’d mentioned it to her the second time she’d gotten a streak in the Crucible.

“We should rest for the night.” The leader of the group turned to Shaxx. They all looked to him for the strength to continue on and it was a familiar weight on his shoulders. The burden was one he’d shouldered before and knew he’d do so again easily. He glanced around for the Hunter and saw her missing, along with her ghost. Shaxx felt the prick of disappointment, he’d been genuinely hoping this Hunter was different from most of her fellows. Hunters were not the scourge of the Guardian classes, but they also had a reputation for being lone wolves. Cayde-6 being a notable exception, but he wasn’t exactly comfortable being around people. Most that were in fireteams stuck to offensive positions, but this Guardian was a _Nightstalker_. A predominantly support role. He’d heard tales of Nightstalkers. They preferred the wilds to being cooped up in a city, to let the Void whisper to them. And whisper back if the urge pulled to them. His attention was ripped from his thoughts as the group began to set up their camp. It was difficult for Shaxx to ignore the grumbling about Siobhan being missing. _Just like a Hunter, slacking off when there’s real work to be done._

“A Hunter is only out for themselves.” One grumbled and Shaxx bit back a retort. He’d had the same thoughts, so it would be hypocritical of him to say anything to the woman. He knew Hunters had their strengths and weaknesses, same with all Guardians. This Guardian, _this_ Hunter, was different. He felt it deep in his gut. She wouldn’t have done so much for the City, be the one the Vanguard call upon whenever there was trouble, if she was one to shirk her duty. They could only wait to see if the Hunter returned, the focus would be to provide warmth and a safe place for sleep. An hour after camp was established and the group realized they had no food, Shaxx saw the familiar figure of the Hunter coming over the small hill. He approached and heard grumbling.

“I told you that we should’ve chosen a smaller target.”

“And when would that have appeared? It took an hour for this one to come across our path. I couldn’t risk it. I just wish it wasn’t so damn heavy.” Siobhan’s voice was strained as she struggled to carry the deer carcass across the uneven ground. Relief unfurled its warmth in his chest at the sight of the two. Their bickering gave him a sense of normal as Arawn snarked about getting too big for her britches. It soothed some of the rawness in his own soul.

“Guardian?” Shaxx went out to meet her and saw the swift response. She sheathed her knife as she recognized him, and he was surprised that her drawing it gave him pause. That never would have happened before the loss of their Light, she’d have recognized him by his Light before he came into sight. One more thing to lay at Ghaul’s feet.

“Sorry. I didn’t think it would be so heavy or I’d be back sooner.” She grabbed her Ghost when he fluttered beside her, ready to add in his opinion. The little quiver in his shell had Shaxx tamping down on his chuckle. The little Ghost looked so put out, and his Guardian was glaring at him from behind her helm. He nudged her aside and picked up the deer. “Well, sure make it look easy.” The Hunter called out her thanks as she strolled along behind him. He heard the group exclaim about the deer but Shaxx corrected them that it had been the Guardian that had brought the food for them.

“You hunted for us?” The leader approached as Siobhan did her best to wipe off some of the blood on her armor. Surprise threaded through her voice and Siobhan resisted the urge to sigh. It wasn’t like Hunters were known for being team players. Siobhan could hardly blame the woman for thinking the same of her, they did not know her.

“Hmm? Oh. Yes. Sorry. I figured you and Lord Shaxx could handle getting camp set up so I’d go and be useful by hunting some food. If we’re careful about preserving it, it should last us until we reach those coordinates. Sorry I took so long though.” Siobhan brushed the back of her helmet and grinned sheepishly, even if the other woman couldn’t see it through her helmet. Siobhan wasn’t a lone wolf by anyone’s standards, but she wasn’t exactly a people person either. Most brushed it off as a Hunter’s quirkiness but she just didn’t know how to react to some situations.

“I apologize.” Her heart lurched at the words and she lifted a hand to dismiss the apology but the woman shook her head. “We all assumed you’d abandoned us. Hunters don’t really…” The woman realized what she was about to say and flushed a deep crimson. Siobhan chuckled and nodded. This she could understand, humor was her go to for breaking awkwardness.

“Yeah, Hunters aren’t what I’d call experts with ‘people skills,’ but neither am I. That doesn’t mean I’m going to leave you guys alone in the Wilds while I run off to Traveler knows what,” she explained and the woman, who had been a food vendor in the Tower, nodded in answer and went back to camp to help with the butchering of the deer. The fear of offending the Guardian hastening her steps, and Siobhan sighed as she watched her go. She wasn’t _that_ offensive, was she? People were confusing, she’d much rather be in the Wilds alone. At least alone she didn’t have to worry about offending anyone.

“Are you certain you’re all right Siobhan?” Arawn floated in front of her and she nodded. She was as fine as she could be in these circumstances. There was little they could do about the Light. It still felt wrong, like her world was altered in just a way to be a constant reminder of what she’d lost. Siobhan hated it. “We’ll take first watch then?”

“Yeah. The civilians need all the rest they can get,” Siobhan murmured as she saw the meat being put into the makeshift skillets. “I’m going to try for a nap since everyone’s still awake. Keep an eye out for me?” Arawn agreed as Siobhan hopped up into a nearby tree and found a sturdy branch that would hold her weight. Her Ghost commented on the lack of grace and Siobhan snapped about it not being the best time for her. She settled against the solid bark, wrapping her cloak around her and let exhaustion claim her. Arawn settled in next to her neck as always, the comforting sound of her pulse lulling him into his own fitful sleep.

“Where did the Hunter go?” One of the women asked as she prepared some of the deer meat for Siobhan. Everyone glanced up and the leader shook her head against the rumbling that had begun. Siobhan had come back for them, with food. That woman wasn’t going to be abandoning them, but it did beg the question of _where_ did she go?

“She isn’t gone. Lord Shaxx, you know Guardians far better than we do. Where would a Hunter go during a quiet spell like this?”

“A place to be alone, away from people.”

“Like those trees over there?” She pointed to the little copse of trees on the edge of their camp. Shaxx agreed to go and see if Siobhan was there. He strolled over to the base of one of the larger trees and was surprised when he saw movement near the top. The little ghost appeared in front of him, its shell fluttering around it in agitation. The shell reminded him of the ruffled feathers of a bird woken from a nap.

“Lord Shaxx, please don’t disturb my Guardian. She’s trying to get some rest before taking the first watch tonight.” This little Ghost was protective, it made him smile to see how fierce he was. It spoke well to the Guardian. He’d seen Guardians abuse their Ghosts, those that just didn’t care, and it was a special Guardian that had the love _and_ loyalty of their Ghost.

“Fear not little Ghost. I merely wanted to know where she was.” Shaxx held up a hand to the ghost who narrowed his eye suspiciously before floating back up to Siobhan. He glanced up and saw the Guardian wrapped up in her cloak against the trunk of the tree. His lips turned up in amusement at the sight she presented. So fierce in battle, but now she resembled a contented cat curled in a blanket. He’d let her get the rest she needed, weariness dragged his shoulders. It was a new feeling. For so long Kara had kept him from needing the type of rest others needed, and now that exhaustion was crushing. A humbling experience, one he didn’t particularly relish. He went back to the group and explained what was going on.

“Poor dear. Let her sleep, she got us food. I can take first watch.” The leader told Shaxx who shook his head. He appreciated their drive, but they weren’t trained soldiers. None of them had seen a Cabal outside of vids before the Red Legion, let alone fought one in a serious battle. They’d fought valiantly to escape the Tower, but Shaxx wasn’t comfortable leaving civilians in charge of the watch. They met his gaze mutinously but he remembered Twilight Gap. The screams from the wounded civilians as the Fallen fell on them in ravenous waves would haunt him for eternity. He’d rather the Hunter or himself take watch.

“You all need your sleep. The Guardian and myself are better equipped for standing guard. We’ll need you to be rested if any enemies approach tomorrow.” This seemed to pacify them for the moment and they went back to preparing the meat for travel. The group split into two, one worked with the meat and the other cleaned the weapons. A couple had worked for some of the manufacturing companies and were able to guide the others for cleaning and preparing the weapons.

Arawn woke Siobhan when the sun began its descent. She stretched and almost fell out of the tree, clumsily grabbing onto the tree trunk in a fully body hug. Her heart thundered in her chest as blood rushed through her. She was wide awake now, as her breathing came in rapid pants from the fright she’d had. It was a momentary lapse of awareness, one she was already cursing herself for. Not that she was the most graceful of Hunters and envied those who had cat like grace. She prayed no one had seen that, but her hope crashed and burned as she heard a chuckle from below. A very _familiar_ chuckle. Oh no, was all that passed through her mind. Her face settled into a deadpan expression as she glanced down to see Shaxx standing below the tree with his hands on his hips. “I do believe he’s laughing at you…” She shot her Ghost an exasperated stare before she eased her legs onto the branch below her. The humiliation was complete, bad enough she almost fell out of the tree but to have Lord Shaxx witness it? Siobhan felt her face burn at the thought. The creak of the branch broke through her thoughts and she reached out for another branch when it broke under her boot. Siobhan tumbled forward and this time the weightlessness of being in the air wasn’t comforting. All she could think was that she’d walked away from a battle with the Taken King but falling from a damn tree would prove to be her final death. Her eyes squeezed shut, call her a coward but she didn’t care to see that ground when she hit. Fate’s sense of humor wasn’t lost on her. Her descent was halted as she landed against something solid. The air left her lungs in one breath as the force of impact sent a buzzing off in her ears. Her eyes flew open when she realized she was still alive, dazed but alive.

“I’ve got you Guardian.” She glanced up and felt the embarrassment burn her cheeks. Relief at not dying cooled it somewhat. The Crucible master had just caught her as she’d fallen from a tree. She’d laugh if it wasn’t so damn embarrassing. Siobhan wasn’t used to being held like this either, normally Jareth would toss her or Annalise over his shoulder if they needed to get out quickly. Usually with one or both yelling at him that they needed to get back into the fight. Jareth always did know when retreat was a strategic option. Her thoughts darkened at the thought of her teammates, she didn’t even know if they were alive. The warm chuckle snapped her to reality and she stared up at the familiar helm of Lord Shaxx. She knew Titans were strong but it didn’t seem like he was even phased by catching her, fully armored, as she fell from the tree. She pushed down the feelings bubbling up in her, it was definitely _not_ an appropriate time for that. She’d pushed those damn feelings down for years, now was not a good time to remember she had a raging crush on the Crucible Master.

“Thank you Lord Shaxx.” She slid to the ground with only a whisper of sound. She may be the clumsiest Hunter in the Tower but by the Light she could be stealthy. “I’ll take first watch. You go get some sleep.” Anything to get away from the mortification of being caught like that. Her desperation stemmed from a need to get away from her own thoughts. She just knew he’d probably yell something like that if she ever went in the Crucible again. Something like _Get in there Guardian! It’s not as if you’re climbing a tree!_ She’d never live it down. Especially if Nevia found out. Siobhan glanced in the direction of the Tower and felt the tug at her chest. Nevia was like a sister to her, but she had no way of knowing if she was alive or not. This damned war. Siobhan clenched her fingers tight against her palm as rage burned in her chest.

“If you are certain Guardian? All right. Wake me in four hours.” Shaxx went back over to the group and settled into his spot for the night. Siobhan snorted as her response, she’d take half the night if it came to that. She scrambled onto the rock that gave her a good view of the entire little area they were in. The moon was full, which gave off plenty of light to see by. Arawn snuggled up against her neck as the air chilled slightly. The moon was a welcome companion as she kept watch over their little camp. There was something comforting in the pale light that shone over her. Even as she knew the entire rock was crawling with Hive and Fallen, it was a companion that guided her at night. The silence of the night gave her ample time to go over the vision again. That shard was calling to her, and a gut feeling told her that those coordinates would help her find it. The images pulsed inside of her with an alarming familiarity, it was calling to _her_. The broken piece of the Traveler was calling to a Guardian that would answer back, but she didn’t know if it was just her or if it was a channel wide broadcast. Arawn fluttered in alarm as Siobhan saw the first enemy appear just past the trees. It was time to put her Hunter training to good use, she didn’t need her Light to remain unseen and unheard in the dark after all. The knife slid into her palm, its weight calming. This she knew. _This_ she could do without Light. Her knife skills came from training and battle, the Cabal Warhounds wouldn’t be standing when she got done. The bodies were strewn about the area, their blood staining the ground black. Even without her Light she’d never let these monsters get at the people she was in charge of protecting. She took a step to retrieve her pistol on the ground when the pain shot up her leg. She winced as she realized one of those fuckers got her.

The sun rose the next morning with little event. Shaxx shot to his feet as the light hit his helm. The Guardian hadn’t woken him during the night, worried thoughts rushed through his head. Was she alright? Did something happen to her? He had to know and rushed to his feet. The crack of his joints as he stood gave him pause. That wasn’t normal. He glanced down as he opened and closed his fist, there was no pain but he noted that exhaustion still clung to his mind. A side effect of losing his Light, it made him want to shake his fist at the sky. Shaxx did not appreciate feeling helpless. The others in the group roused as well and huddled close to each other for warmth as they woke. Shaxx went in search of the Hunter, intent on demanding an explanation from her as to why she didn’t wake him.

“You’re doing it wrong.” The little ghost’s voice floated over to him from just behind one of the outcropping of rocks. The singsong melody of his voice had his anger dimming. Arawn just sounded so amused and smug.

“Pretty sure I bandaged myself in a past life, but not in this one. So, cut me some slack. I normally have _you_ to heal me, but I need to learn if we’re not going to have the Light to heal all wounds. Besides the wounds I’m used to patching up are bullet holes, not frigging _bites_.” The Hunter’s voice reached him as well, she sounded so put out. Bandaging? Was she injured? Shaxx quickened his pace and turned the corner. He once again ignored the quick pulse of alarm at the thought of her being injured. He saw the Hunter sitting with her boots and greaves off, her pale blue skin softly glowing in the dawn’s light. The ragged bite wound on her leg sunk into his mind with icy claws. It looked raw, nasty, and painful. He wanted to soothe it but checked the impulse. He was being too damn strange with his Light gone. She wound white cloth around the leg as her Ghost supervised.

“Lord Shaxx. Siobhan will be ready shortly.” Arawn floated over to Shaxx. Siobhan, God is gracious. He wondered if the Guardian was as gracious as her name implied, but the answer was staring at him. She was. He’d heard the stories about her from Nevia and Jareth when they both came to the Crucible. Seen it when she went head to head with the Tower’s enemies. He glanced around the Ghost and saw the Hunter pulling on her armor again.

“Why was I not woken up last night?” Arawn fluttered in uncertainty as the glowing eye flicked over to Siobhan. The Hunter grumbled some more under her breath before turning to face him. She knew he’d ask and had an easy answer at least.

“We had no time. The Cabal sent their dogs, _literally_ , all night. I got bit by one of the bastards before dawn. Which is what I was patching up.” Siobhan tossed over her shoulder as she headed over to the camp area. Her gait hitched with a slight limp favoring her uninjured leg. Shaxx turned towards the little ghost floating next to him.

“Will she be all right?”

“She’ll be fine. Stubborn but fine. She’s tougher than you think.” Shaxx watched as the ghost floated over and settled against the Guardian’s neck inside her hood. No doubt she was strong given everything she’d gone through. As much as it killed him to admit, Saladin never would have chosen her as an Iron Lord if he wasn’t absolutely certain of her strength. He could trust her just a bit more. The group cleaned up and headed back on the path. They saw the bodies of the mutated dogs littering their path as they walked on. The sheer number of them had worry tugging at his mind, she’d done all of this alone while they slept. The leader glanced at Siobhan who showed not an ounce of pain as she walked in front of the group. Whether the Guardian realized it or not, the civilians had begun to respect her more and more with every passing hour.

“One more day of travel and we should reach the rendezvous point.” Arawn spoke with Kara, Shaxx’s Ghost. Siobhan winced as she eased off her boot, away from the group. She looked and saw the darkened skin around the wound and cursed internally. It was infected. Great. Just what she needed. She leaned her forehead against her forearm as she called to Arawn. Her Ghost went over to her and he healed up the infection, leaving behind only the barest hint of a scar. She grumbled about doing okay without his help but he didn’t have a chance to reply. He whirled around and sent out the alarm.

“Cabal. Legionary forces, approximately seven approaching from the south.” Siobhan cursed viciously as she shoved her leg back into the boot. “I’ll warn the others.” He flew off to inform their group as Siobhan dashed towards cover. She took out three of the Legionnaire bastards before Shaxx joined her. It was odd fighting side by side with the Crucible Master. He was far more direct in his attacks, eschewing cover a lot of times if it gave him the perfect opportunity to attack. Siobhan was more fluid with her combat, she ducked in and out of cover before winding around the enemy to strike from behind. Together they finished the rest off before rejoining the group.

“The enemy has been dealt with. But we shouldn’t linger longer than we need to.” The group banded together and pushed on through the night, with Siobhan in the back and Shaxx in the front. She knew this was going to be brutal, especially since she’d not had any rest since that nap the previous afternoon.

“A break Lord Shaxx. We need a break.” The leader pleaded after the seventh consecutive hour of walking. Siobhan agreed, even her stamina was nearing the breaking point. Shaxx set a brutal pace, but they needed to get out before the Cabal caught up to them. Siobhan had been careful in masking their tracks. One thing she’d learned from Yvette. A sharp pang went through her heart. Yvette was as close to a mother as Siobhan would ever get to. She’d taken the young Hunter under her wing when Siobhan first arrived at the Tower. The older Hunter showed her how to track, how to survive in the Wilds, and most importantly, how to mask her presence in an area.

“I will stand guard. You’ll have four hours.” The group split into smaller groups to huddle together for warmth. Siobhan sat off to the side, her cloak around her shivering body. She grumbled about being cold as she huddled against the rock. Arawn nudged her cheek as he told her she hated cold no matter where she was. Shaxx listened to her grumbling with half an ear as she spoke with her Ghost. He didn’t even notice the smile on his face as he found her grumbles amusing. The woman had faced down a horde of Cabal pets and Legionary forces with nary a complaint, but she grumbled about the cold. It was so bloody normal.

On the third day, they crested the hill and saw the ships there. Shaxx approached the woman with the hawk on her shoulder with his hands raised.

“Civilians?” Shaxx nodded and indicated the humans that were with them. “I’m surprised that many escaped the City at once with only one Guardian. No offense meant Lord Shaxx.” Her lips quirked up in a smile as Shaxx inclined his head.

“We had that Guardian with us as well.” He swept his hand towards Siobhan as she carried one of the woman on her back after the poor thing sprained her ankle. “And that one needs medical attention for a sprained ankle.”

“Got it. Thanks. You Guardians may not be so bad after all. We’ll take you to the Farm.” Hawthorne turned towards Siobhan and jerked her thumb towards the ship. The Hunter nodded and headed over to the ship with the woman on her back. Hawthorne’s crew took the woman from her as the others loaded up. Hawthorne noticed that Siobhan and Shaxx didn’t board the plane until the last civilian was loaded in. It gave her a small bit of respect, just a bit. They were still Guardians after all, and she couldn’t trust them to help look after her people. They were only concerned for their little ball in the sky and City.

“We’ve got more room for you two. Could always use another couple of skilled hands at the Farm.” The two glanced at each other before taking Hawthorne up on her offer. The ships weren’t the roomiest in the world, and it was rather awkward when the crew explained that there would be more room if Siobhan sat on someone’s lap.

“I’m too heavy in all this armor. One of them can sit on my lap.” Siobhan pointed to one of the woman who nodded. None of them wanted a heavily armored Guardian on their lap. Shaxx solved the entire argument by yanking on her cloak, knocking her off balance onto his lap with a sharp yelp from her. His arm slid around her waist, an iron inescapable band. She felt small when tucked up against him like this. She would enjoy it if she wasn’t too busy being annoyed at being treated like a child.

“Stop arguing and just sit so we can get to safety.” Siobhan crossed her arms and glared ahead. She was thankful for her helmet since no one would be subject to her fury. She sulked in silence on the trip to the Farm as some of the other woman chuckled. Siobhan did her best to ignore how broad Shaxx was, she was mad damn it. They were in the middle of a freaking war, she had no business thinking about how he felt pressed against her. She brutally pushed the thoughts out of her mind.

“Here we are folks. The Farm.” Hawthorne grinned as they landed. Siobhan jumped up from Shaxx’s lap as they landed and followed the others out of the ship. “You go ahead and get set up with some quarters and get cleaned up. We’ll discuss what role you’ll have once you’ve rested and eaten.” Hawthorne told Shaxx and Siobhan as she headed off to the large open barn that doubled as a hangar.


	2. Chapter 2

Siobhan was given a cot in a small area of a barn. There had been worse sleeping accommodations in her life. Siobhan was thankful to have a safe spot to rest her head, exhaustion had weighted down every limb she had. It was like moving through molasses when they had landed at the Farm. She had taken note of a few Guardians milling about, but none were familiar faces. She ached to see a familiar face again. She heard grumbling from across the partition and realized they’d put Shaxx in the same building. Luckily there were walls separating them, thin as they were. It helped relieve some of the anxiety at being lightless, having him near. The quiet click of her helmet echoed in the small building and she stared down at it in her hands. It was dented and had char marks. No longer the pristine prize she’d acquired after becoming an Iron Lord. Arawn floated up in front of her and glanced over her in concern. Her silvery hair brushed against her jaw as it fell forward, free of the constraints of the helm. The loss of the Light was traumatic, but he could see that look in Siobhan’s face. The clenched jaw, narrowed eyes, and lips set in a thin line. It was the Vault of Glass and Oryx all over again. She was losing herself in her thoughts, and they were dark. He needed to change the subject, snap her back to the present. Before the demons consumed her. Ghosts could heal physical wounds, but the ones that cut deep into soul were beyond their reach. And Siobhan had seen more than her share during her short time as a Guardian, only a decade behind her.

“You had the dream too then?” Arawn floated over to her shoulder and perched on it. She nodded and ran a hand through her hair. The strands clinging to the rough leather of her gloves. “Think we should ask Hawthorne about that shard in the distance?”

“We will. We have to go there, it could be our only chance. There has to be a reason I keep seeing it in my dreams. I’d like to rest and get clean first.” Siobhan grinned at Arawn who agreed with her. “I think that they said the bathing quarters were over there.” Siobhan shuffled over to the back of the barn. Her armor seals clicked as the armor dropped down and she stared at it with a wistful look in her eyes. The vest had been a New Monarchy piece that she’d treasured, but now it was worth less than the metal used to craft it. The armor was riddled with dents and holes from Cabal forces. Her fingers stroked over the imagery blazoned across the front and turned to finish stripping out of her armor. Letting the past haunt her would bring nothing but the darkness. The thin under armor of her suit clung to her like a second skin, and she peeled it off. Her skin breathed in relief as she stood in the small area naked. She closed her eyes for a moment to savor the peace, while it wasn’t quiet, she didn’t worry that Cabal would attack at any moment.

She stepped into the shower stall, a wall that only came up to her elbows and prayed no one came in. That was saying something as she wasn’t the tallest Guardian, barely reaching Shaxx’s shoulder. Though Nevia and Annalise were shorter than she was, and Yvette barely an half inch taller than them. The water was chilly at first, sending a shiver down her body as she waited for it to warm up. The dirt and blood washed from her skin, leaving only the clear blue behind. The jagged lines of the scars on her body stuck out ghostly white against her sky-blue skin, the aura patterns swirling over her skin in a mystical rhythm she’d long ago abandoned trying to figure out. Siobhan stared down at her hands, tiny scars from nicks and combat there. Each told a story of her life and the struggles she’d endured. Ghaul would never be able to take that away from her, and she’d do well to remember. He could strip her of her Light but he’d never take away _who_ she was. She was Siobhan. Guardian of the Tower, Iron Lord, and the one who went into Oryx’s realm to take him out. Her spirit picked up as she reached for the soap in the stall. The soap provided was utilitarian and didn’t have much of a scent to it, which was fine with her. She’d just finished rinsing her hair when the door swung open. Her head jerked up and she reached instinctively for her knife, which was sitting right on top of her armor. The screech that left her lips could be best described as a cross between a dying whale and the unearthly howl of a Hive Wizard. She _hated_ anyone sneaking up on her! Seriously, how could someone sneak that quietly!?

“Guardian, I need to speak with you about this plan to travel to that shard.” Siobhan froze as she heard the voice behind her. Her head whipped towards his voice. How can a Titan sneak so well? Jareth at his best, could never sneak up on her. Siobhan secretly hoped this would not become a pattern.

“Can it wait!? I’m not exactly in the greatest of positions for _talking_ right now.” Her voice cracked as she crouched behind the wall. Mortification flooded her as the heat crept up into her face. He’d caught her defenseless which was humiliating enough, but to be caught _naked_ and defenseless was somehow worse. Without her Light, Siobhan wasn’t weak but without her armor she really didn’t pose much of a threat to anyone. She had the skills she’d learned on the way, but she didn’t have the brute strength a Titan did. Her strength was in stealth, not punching her way out of a situation. Though, when given thought, she really didn’t know many Titans that were truly punch drunk.

“Fine. We will discuss this later.” Shaxx turned and left and Siobhan blew out a relieved breath. She silently watched him go, amazed that he left without argument. A small miracle. She quickly finished rinsing and pulled on the extra armor Hawthorne provided for her. Siobhan mourned the loss of her armor, she’d worked so hard for it. The memories embedded in the metal were far more precious to her than the piece itself. The laughter, the tears, the fear that she wouldn’t make it back from whatever mission, and the love she had for her friends and family. It was all embedded in that metal, etched in with the dents and scuffs. She sighed as she ran a hand over the once bright purple armor. Purple had always been her favorite color. Siobhan set it to the side, along with the cloak. Her fingers brushed against the cloth, a vow she’d long since finished. Yet she stubbornly clung to the memory and the reason she fought so valiantly. With her Light gone, she had to put the past to rest. Just as she had promised to do when she’d been given the title of newest Iron Lord.

“Siobhan?” Arawn floated and nudged her cheek. She smiled gently at her Ghost and turned from the armor. He was always there to drag her from the memories. They left the small barn area and stepped into the sunlight. Activity bustled as refugees swarmed the area, going from place to place to prepare the Farm. She shielded her eyes from the bright sun and heard her name being bellowed. “I think Lord Shaxx wants to speak with you.” Siobhan rolled her eyes at this astute observation. No doubt he wanted to “discuss” her plans to travel to the Shard. She didn’t need to be a mind reader to know he was not pleased with the decision.

“No doubt. He’s not changing my mind.” Siobhan approached Shaxx, her helmet tucked up under hear arm as she strode over the grass. Shaxx had made his home in the hangar, a small little corner that held a few salvaged monitors. Siobhan noticed Arcite was there and she smiled as the bot turned and waved to her. She returned his wave before turning to see Shaxx. Even with his helmet she could feel the disapproval roll off him in waves. She suppressed the groan that wanted to break free, this would end in one of two ways. A shouting match or a lecture.

“Guardian.” Shaxx greeted her and she puffed out an irritated breath. That tone of his was condescending and spoke more to his mood than anything. He was struggling to get his temper in check, or impatience. Siobhan wasn’t really sure which. Normally she would bask in the undivided attention of the Crucible master, but she had other priorities at the moment. “This idea of yours to travel to that shard is utter foolishness. You risk too much to go to it.”

“And it’s my life to risk. If there’s even the _slightest_ chance this could hold some answers? I’ll take it.” Here we go, was all she could think. Siobhan stared at his helm, daring him to break the contact. She’d given this far more thought than he seemed to have assumed. This wasn’t just some spur of the moment decision. It wasn’t impulsive. This was a chance for them to turn the tide against Ghaul. She couldn’t just ignore it. If it turned out to be a trap she had already set plans in place for that. “This could be a chance for us to get our Light back. With that, Ghaul won’t win.” Siobhan clenched her fist as Shaxx crossed his arms in front of her. An immovable wall. The man was entirely too stubborn. Even back at the Tower he’d call her out for not being at the Crucible or for holding back when in the Crucible. She didn’t like fighting other Guardians, no matter the purpose of it. The root of which was deep in her past, when her team took on the Vault of Glass. A memory of quicksilver eyes grinning at her flashed through her mind but she wouldn’t think of Emyr now. It hurt too much, even all these years after. Her bright blue eyes snapped back to the present and pinned Shaxx with a glare. She didn’t need his approval to go, so why was she still talking to him like she needed his permission? Her hands clenched into tight fists as it hit her.

“And if you die?”

Control snapped and anger burst like a solar flare in her chest. Her lips moved before she could think better of her words. “Then at least I’ll die knowing I _tried_!” Siobhan’s voice rang out in the hanger. The din quieted around them after her outburst. “And no one is going to stop me from trying.” Her words hung between them before Hawthorne broke the standoff with Siobhan’s name. Siobhan turned on her heel and headed up the stairs to Hawthorne. The hood fluttered in the breeze as she stormed up the stairs, and Shaxx could only stare at her back. Her temper was new. It wasn’t something he was quite used to, and not quite sure how to feel about it. Being dismissed like that had cut at his pride, and he stewed on how to react.

“I overheard your little outburst down there Guardian. If you’re set for doing this, then you’ll need a way to get there.” Hawthorne tilted her head towards the shard of the Traveler in the distance. The energy, even this far away, hummed along the Hunter’s skin. Pulling her to it, it was mesmerizing. Siobhan nodded and Hawthorne could see the determination in every inch of this Hunter. It made her think that maybe not every Guardian was as bad as she previously thought. Though they were most likely still reckless as hell, and she had a good feeling about this one. “So, I’ll loan you a ship to get there. I don’t need empty promises, but if you get your Light back? I have something I need you to do. I’ll send the missive when your little ball tells me you were successful.”

“Thanks Hawthorne.” Siobhan smiled at Hawthorne before scratching Louis under his beak, much to the hawk’s enjoyment. He preened as her fingers stroked over the feathers at just the right pressure. Hawthorne shook her head at how quickly Louis warmed up to his Guardian, her hawk was an astute judge of character. Another point in the Guardian’s favor. She watched as Siobhan climbed into the ship she’d lent her, and how the Crucible Master watched her. Even with his eyes obscured Hawthorne could read his body language. That man didn’t want the Guardian to leave, and her lips turned up in a smile as she saw how he watched the ship disappear over the horizon before going back to what he was doing. He’d stared for a moment longer than the others in the hangar, and she saw the restless energy falling off him in waves.

The trip to the drop zone was easy and free of hassles. Siobhan refused to let it lull her into a false sense of security and they disembarked the plane. “There is a reason this is called the Dead Zone.” Arawn snarked as they ducked under the car to get into the mines. Siobhan rolled her eyes and told him to _suck it up buttercup._ A perfect imitation of when he pointed out when she was whining about enemies. His undignified retort wasn’t to be repeated in polite company, but since when did she ever count as polite company. Arawn kept up a steady commentary as they headed further in. They fought through the Fallen there, making Arawn comment about it being just like old times. “You know, when I first found you.” Siobhan laughed as they plowed through the Fallen. It did remind her of that time, the same adrenaline rush and uncertainty. The same frantic scramble as the eliksni swarmed towards her. This time she had a little more knowledge about facing the Fallen enemies. Though these wore a cloak of a house she didn’t know. She was no longer a Kinderguardian as Emyr had called her when she’d first woken up. The pang was softer now when she remembered him, it was a warm feeling. The nickname had stayed until they’d faced their first strike, when she’d pulled his ass out of the fire at great risk to herself. He never called her Kinderguardian again after that. Siobhan sighed and shook her head as they headed further in. The trip to the Shard was full of Fallen and bitching from Siobhan. Do they ever freaking stop!? They finally arrived at the Shard and she cursed as the horde of Eliksni surrounded the base. Almost as if they were worshipping it. Siobhan studied their cloaks but she didn’t recognize the house imagery on them. It made her miss Variks, he’d have known which house they belonged to.

“Well, crap.” Siobhan yelled as she barely dodged the sniper round. It took a lot of rounds from the new rifle that Hawthorne gave her, but the two big Fallen fell. It fit into her hands just as her old pulse rifle did. _Apple of Discord_ had been a wonderful weapon, but it was now lost to her thanks to Ghaul. _The asshole._ Another reason to solidly punch the giant, egotistical jackass when she got him in her crosshairs. “That, that was far more work than it used to be.” She didn’t remember being so tired after a fight like that. The assault rifle clipped onto her back as she approached the Shard.

“You technically don’t have your Light anymore, so this is how it would be if you were an ordinary person.” Arawn bumped her head as they finally arrived at the base of the Shard. “Its Light, feels different. Be careful Siobhan.” Arawn murmured as they both stared up at it.

“We’ve got no choice. If we want to have any chance of defeating Ghaul and getting _our_ Light back, we need to do this.” Siobhan reached out towards the Shard and felt it pulling her to it. The Light flowed from it like the fog on a crystal-clear lake on a winter morning, but it was warm and inviting. The smoke wrapped around her, filling her with the Light. A thousand memories flashed before her eyes as the Light enveloped her in its embrace, the voices whispering to her in her mind once again. _Hello my old friend. Let the anger fill you, destroy everything in your path._

“Siobhan?” Arawn cried out as he felt the Light filling him as well. They turned as the sounds of Dregs and Vandals reached them. The clicks and growls of the Eliksni language filled her ears and she straightened.

“You think we’ll be okay?” Arawn looked up at Siobhan as he floated by her shoulder.

“The whispers are back.” Siobhan rubbed her helmet, at her temple, as the voices rushed into her head. This she knew. This was familiar. Now no one was going to stop her from getting to Ghaul and paying him back for every single life lost. “ _We’re_ back.” The determination filled her voice as lifted her head towards the Fallen. The purple smoke curled around her hand as she turned to face the Fallen forces coming at them. “And now it’s time to show these assholes who they’re messing with.” Confidence rang crystal clear in her voice. She felt the Light in her again, could feel it flow in her veins again. The bow formed perfectly in her hands as she let loose the arrow. It felt good to have the void bow in her hands once again, it eseemed like an eternity since she last held it. Despite only being a little over a week. Nine days seemed forever when she had been left with part of herself missing. The pockets of Light in the area helped fill them with the energy they needed to tear through the enemies. Soon they were standing in the middle of nothing but corpses. Siobhan felt the Light filling her, pulsing along her skin like an electric current. It still felt _off_ but she couldn’t place why. Likely the Shard had developed its own Light as a defense against the Dead Zone enemies, after being separated from the Traveler for so long. She turned back to look at it, but it stood silent and dead. No more visions would be coming from it. Her hand rested on the smooth metal of its side, cold to her touch now. Siobhan wondered if perhaps it had given her the last of its own Light, to make sure the darkness wouldn’t win. To make sure someone could stand against the Darkness. Siobhan gave it a terse nod before she turned her back to it. Arawn transmatted her into the ship Hawthorne loaned them.

“Now what?” Arawn asked as they flew back towards the Farm.

“There’s only one thing we need to do. We need to bring the fight to Ghaul, but I know there’s going to be more complications than just kicking in his metaphorical door.” Siobhan murmured as the landscape zipped by them. Blending together in a blur as they flew towards Hawthorne. They got the missive that Hawthorne needed their help with a component for a communication device.

“Looks like that missive came in just like Hawthorne mentioned. Are we ready to go help?” Arawn’s shell spun but Siobhan grinned. Just like old times.

“Well, she is the only way we can get a beacon out. We do need to help the refugees that are coming from the City. If it can help them, then let’s do it.” Siobhan nodded as they flew towards the EDZ. The signal could be boosted with this component which could help lead more Guardians and civilian to the Farm. Maybe, just maybe, she could see her Fireteam again. Siobhan refused to believe that they would die. Same with Nevia. There was no way she was gone. Siobhan’s fingers tightened on the steering column as the ship turned towards the Trostlands.

“Welcome Guardian.” The voice on their line was pleasant and Siobhan detected the amusement simmering there. She grinned inside her helmet as she took out the few Dregs and Vandals outside the old church.

“You must be Devrim Kay.” Arawn announced as Devrim chuckled into the comm line. They followed his direction as they adjusted to the new Light. Siobhan felt her fingers itch, she felt the shadow of the weight of a knife sliding against her palm when the bow formed. An odd sensation and one she pushed down to analyze later. The pair went into the mines to find out where Hawthorne needed them.

“Well, guess we won’t be taking _that_ one.” Arawn quipped as the elevator crashed and burned in front of them. Siobhan waved a hand in front of her helmet as the dust cloud billowed out around them. Well, things were certainly the same. Shit still went sideways.

“At least your sense of humor remained the same.” Siobhan chuckled as they turned to the other one. The Fallen came scurrying down the walls, out of holes in the ceilings, and Siobhan groaned. “Why is it always Fallen?”

“Would you rather have Taken?” Siobhan opened her mouth and thought better of it.

“You know what? Fallen are fine.” Taken were an enemy Siobhan had difficulty facing, with their poison and glaring reminder of what it could give her. Night terrors. Visions of shaky, jumpy movements as she faded in and out of the real world and into another realm. Enough to make her queasy just thinking about it. She’d take Fallen any day. They finished off the enemies that popped up in the room, even using some of the explosive barrels around them.

“Whoa.” Arawn watched the barrel blow to pieces and took out three Fallen next to it. “How did you know that was there?”

“I, uh, didn’t?” Siobhan shrugged as they sat on the cold, hard ground of the mine. That last barrel had knocked her on her ass in a splendid explosion. Siobhan was thankful for the helmet, it hid the shell shocked expression likely on her face. She hadn’t anticipated hitting that explosive barrel. She’d botched the shot when one of theirs had hit her arm. Thanks to Arawn the pain was already fading, but her dignity was still quite bruised. She grumbled about her dignity before she pressed on.

“Well, now we know.” Arawn told her as he floated by her face, his expression an exact copy of hers. Irritation and acceptance was all they could feel as the next room beckoned. They sighed in unison as Siobhan stood and dusted herself off. Since she first woke as a Guardian, she spent far too much time underground.

“Let’s go.” The Hunter went further into the mines. They jumped down the rocks that ran in a corkscrew pattern down to the bottom. The dark seemed to swallow them as they made it to the ground. Jumping from the frying pan into the fire, as the saying went. The dark swallowed her and she fought a shiver as the last of the light disappeared. It was almost metaphorical if she took a moment to think about it, but the Fallen drew her away from deeper thoughts. The red laser beam caught their attention and Siobhan grumbled as she placed a single bullet in the trip mine from her sidearm.

“Well, that was interesting. Usually the Fallen don’t place just one though? Maybe we got lucky?” Arawn grumbled as they headed further in the cavern. A soft red glow burned brighter as they approached.

“You were saying?” Siobhan cursed quietly at the sight before them. Trip mines everywhere in the room, and as far as she could see _in_ the room.

“Paranoid much?” Arawn’s sarcasm was a salve to her worry. If he could be snarky then the situation wasn’t as bad as she was making it out to be. The two of them were a perfect pair, their moods were more often than not synced up. She had been thinking similar sarcastic and not nice thoughts herself.

“It’s Fallen. I’m honestly not sure if it’s paranoia or just the way they are. They do seem to like their explosives. As if this would stop me.” Siobhan waved a hand dismissively as Arawn had to agree. They noticed movement on the other side and an idea popped into her mind. The report of the single shot echoed in the chamber beyond the trip mines.

“Siobhan… You’re going to get their attention.” Arawn warned. He sounded so patient, like he was explaining things to a child. Her face split on a grin at it.

“I know. There’s one thing that I love about Fallen.” Siobhan ducked behind some cover after making sure the enemy forces saw her. The ominous beeping as the Fallen tripped the mines was priceless, three seconds later the explosions rang out in the small cavern, followed by stillness and quiet. The silence was only interrupted by soft creaking sounds of metal settling and the rustling as rubble fell from the ceiling.

“They’re so predictable.” She grinned as they peered over the cover. Siobhan slipped out from behind her hiding spot after ensuring the area was secure. She nudged a body with her boot but it was not moving. The bodies littered the floor and she stepped over them on her way to the elevator.

“This should be the one to take us to the top where Hawthorne is.” Arawn explained as Siobhan activated the elevator panel. “Unfortunately…” Siobhan’s face settled into a long-suffering look before she turned as the Fallen appeared in the room.

“Seriously!?? How many of you are there?” Siobhan yelled out in frustration as the Fallen Servitors appeared. Siobhan unleashed her Light on them. They didn’t stand a chance against _Shadowshot_ and her grenades. The Servitors and their minions fell to the ground and she took the elevator up to where Hawthorne was. Though she made sure to flip off the room as the gate snapped shut in front of her. The small Shanks that popped up were put down with a few rounds from her sidearm. The elevator dinged as it made it to the surface. She stepped off the elevator and approached Hawthorne.

“You’re full of surprises there Guardian.” Hawthorne took the booster component from Siobhan and put it into her machine. “Looks like Louis owes me money.” Hawthorne put the booster into the transmitter. “Now, if I read the manual right.”

“There’s an incoming beacon.” Hawthorne looked over at them and Siobhan felt her stomach tangle in knots. The Commander’s image had popped up. The message began to play.

“Guardians… The City is lost…” Zavala’s voice spoke over the transmitter. Siobhan glanced over at Arawn as he began to speak.

“Zavala’s _alive_! If we leave now…” Hawthorne slammed her hand onto the machine, jerking their attention to her.

“You are not going to Titan.” Hawthorne spoke her reasons for keeping Siobhan at the Farm. Siobhan waited for Hawthorne to finish and raised her hand as Arawn began to speak.

“Hawthorne. I have my Light back. I can’t just stand idly by while Ghaul and his Red Legion destroy what’s left of our home. Yes, the Farm has Fallen and Red Legion forces on both sides. But if I don’t _do_ something about him, then we’re all dead!” Siobhan argued as Hawthorne snatched up her rifle.

“You know where to find me.” She pushed past Siobhan and Arawn, anger radiated along her entire body.

“She’s not happy.”

“No. But we don’t have a choice. She fails to see that Ghaul won’t stop with the Traveler and Guardians. Soon he and the Red Legion will destroy everything and everyone. I remember those files on Mars. The Cabal don’t leave _anything_ behind in their wake. And these Red Legion are their elite forces?” Siobhan shook her head. “There’s so much more to this than we know. Let’s go to Titan.” Siobhan told Arawn who bobbed in agreement.


	3. Chapter 3

Siobhan went back to the Farm to stock up on supplies before heading to Titan. She didn’t know what awaited her there, the Commander had seemed so defeated. It was as if he’d lost all hope, she had to get to Titan and talk some sense into him. She glanced around as she saw more Guardians milling about. It filled her with warmth to see the Guardians helping out the others from the City in building a safe place to call a temporary home. A very familiar voice boomed out from the hangar and she felt the smile curve on her lips. He was telling someone to knock off their wailing and to help out with the others. A sense of familiarity. It just wasn’t the same without Shaxx bellowing about something. She’d have preferred hearing him yell at the Crucible, but this was just as good. It meant that while they’d lost their Light, they were all still the same. Their Light gave them their abilities, gave them their powers, their immortality, but it didn’t _define_ them. Arawn glanced up at Siobhan as he felt the pulse of joy in his Guardian. Arawn saw her eyes turned towards the big barn that functioned as their hangar, and noted that her features softened.

“Siobhan?” Arawn floated up to her face and saw the moment she snapped out of whatever daydream she was in. He felt guilty for ruining that brief glimpse of happy. He knew Siobhan rarely got those moments, not since losing Emyr. She’d been a shell of herself after his death, and had slowly gained herself back in the years after. There was still a hesitancy around other Guardians, a mask she put up between herself and others. Only her Fireteam and Nevia got to see the real Siobhan. Glimpses slipped through, notably around Lord Shaxx.

“Yes?” Arawn fluttered around her face and stared at her. She headed towards the hangar after her Ghost bounced towards it. “Fine. I should tell Lord Shaxx we’re headed to Titan. He and Commander Zavala are close.” The excuse sounded lame, even to her ears. Siobhan smiled as she ducked into the barn. Arawn didn’t buy it for a moment. He knew his Guardian and knew when her feelings were shifting. They shared a special bond. After Emyr’s death, Siobhan had agreed to open up their bond. Made it deeper. She’d been on the brink of ending it all, and knew she couldn’t. There was too much to live for. Arawn was able to link with her in a unique way that allowed him to see inside her psyche. He was able to help pull her from those thoughts or get Jareth to help. Siobhan just never went back, it never bothered her to share such a close link with Arawn. Though it gave him far too much insight sometimes, a thought that had her lips quirking into a half smile as he bobbed over towards the Titan. Her eyes took a moment to adjust as they entered. She noted Shaxx was gone as she glanced over again, it gave her a fright to see him gone.

“I see you’ve returned.” Shaxx spoke behind her and she jerked around. _How can a Titan walk so quietly?_ Arawn floated over to Kara and explained what happened, happy to see the Ghost was well. Siobhan felt her heart kick up in her chest as he loomed over her. He was so close. Her fingers itched to reach out and touch his arm to reassure him. She’d not given any thought to how other Guardians would react to her getting her Light back. It gave her pause as she hoped he would not be bitter about it.

“Yes. We got our Light back,” Siobhan said as she gave in to the urge to fidget. Her hands moved as she spoke. “And we heard a message from Zavala. I’m going to Titan.” The Hunter stared up at the Crucible master, her face mulish in her determination. She was prepared for the inevitable lecture. A rash plan, ill thought out, and had nary a chance for success. It wasn’t anything that she hadn’t already told herself. Siobhan didn’t want to hear the disappointment from Shaxx, her heart wouldn’t be able to take it. His opinion of her was valued, whether he thought so or not. She knew this was their best chance, likely only chance to stand against Ghaul. Even if she stood facing the jackass alone. She had a chance to help everyone.

“You got your Light back? That’s…” Shaxx cleared his throat and nodded. It was difficult to put it into words. She’d achieved the impossible, what he’d perceived as impossible. She’d stood against the chaos and laughed in its face. Her standing in front of him was proof of that. He noted how anxious she was, it was puzzling. Did she think he was going to yell at her? “You braved many dangers to get it back. Not quite what I expected.”

“From a Hunter?” Siobhan finished with a derisive snort. She was used to people thinking of her class as the renegade types. The ones only out for themselves. It stung more so that it was from him. And that was putting the best face on it. Siobhan hated that people made huge assumptions about all Hunters simply because there were those that adhered to the stereotypes. Hunters in the Wilds were the ones who braved enemy territory to gain valuable information. They were careful, meticulous in their planning and steps when on recon patrols. Hunters in Fireteams seemed more the reckless type, but Siobhan knew from personal experience. She was only reckless as she didn’t want her teammates to get hurt. They were her family and if she could draw the enemy fire to let them escape, she’d do it in a heartbeat.

“From anyone Guardian. I’ve known many Hunters that went above and beyond.” He looked down at the woman standing in front of him. She was far different than he’d expected. There was something that pulled him to her, since that first time she’d joined in the Crucible. He remembered that hadn’t been long after her team’s first disastrous attempt in the Vault of Glass. She’d been merciless in the Crucible, hellbent on destroying as much as she could. He’d never seen the like before, her blood frenzy was only halted by the mercy rule. She and Nevia had far surpassed any of their opponents. Shaxx would never forget the haunted look in her eyes when she’d claimed her tokens from him afterwards. There’d been a world of pain in them, a pain that no Guardian should live to see. The loss of a loved one. Zavala and Cayde had told him the Hunter that had been lost in the Vault had been especially close to Siobhan. His loss had cut her deeply and it had showed. Shaxx had seen numerous lives come and go in his time as Guardian. Some would be called close friend, but none had been loved ones. The depth of pain there was something he could sympathize with, he’d lived through too much tragedy to not have a grasp of it. That she’d pulled through it and even smiled again was something he respected. She’d become adequate at the Crucible, never living up to what her potential could be. He knew all this about her, but he didn’t know who _she_ was. He knew the image but not the woman behind the cloak. Strangely, he found himself wanting to know. It shocked him to realize he had wanted to know her for a long while, it was just now he wasn’t able to shake off the urge. Without his Light he’d come to see that letting things go would result in reaching the end of his days with regret. And he knew he’d regret not getting to know this tiny Guardian. Shaxx didn’t believe it was because she got her Light back that piqued his interest. It had always been there. Since the first time he’d spoken with her, in actual conversation, and heard the determination in her voice as she spoke of going toe to toe with Prince Uldren.

“Well, you’d be one of the few.” Siobhan told him as she crossed her arms over her armor defensively. The posture surprised him. Just how many times had she been talked down to because of her class? Her, Hive Bane, the one who went in search of Oryx. He took a moment to consider his words, he didn’t want to be lumped in with the others.

“Tell me Guardian.” He saw the faint wince over her face and puzzled over it. “What are your plans for getting rid of Ghaul?” Shaxx crossed his arms over his chest in a mirror of her movements subconsciously. He was curious if she had one. Defeating Ghaul wouldn’t take just one Guardian, and the Vanguard was scattered. He tried as he could to keep the Guardians together on the Farm. Losing the Light was devastating for them, disorienting to find themselves mortal.

“We don’t have enough information yet. There’s a reason that all we have about the Cabal is so ominous.” Siobhan tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke. His eyes followed the movement before focusing on her again. “The data we got from Mars reported that Cabal leave nothing behind. They obliterate star systems when they go through.” She sighed and shifted her weight on her feet. She hoped he didn’t think she was pathetic for wanting to exercise caution. “And the Red Legion is supposedly the elite of the elite. No doubt Ghaul has a contingency plan for if we somehow get the upper hand. And I shudder to think about what that might be.” Siobhan bit her lip to keep from saying any more and glanced up at the Titan. Nerves shining brightly in her eyes.

“So, until I know more I can’t say we, well _I_ , have a solid plan for sure.”

“Wise. Most would run headlong into the danger without a thought for the enemy plans.” Shaxx nodded at her answer. It was wise and spoke of a veteran of combat. Siobhan knew when there needed to be action and when caution was best. Pride swelled in his chest at the answer. Wait, pride? Well, he of course would be proud of her. She wasn’t going to run against Ghaul without a second glance. Her maturity for being such a young Guardian, any of the Vanguard would feel similar. He refocused his attention on her as she kept talking about her plan.

“It’s a bit like chess. Always stay three steps ahead of your enemy and always take into account their potential moves.” Siobhan gave him a tentative smile, a tiny spark of hope there. He felt it like a physical blow. Her face softened when she smiled, those piercing blue eyes twinkled with amusement. Even if the smile was still guarded. She was beautiful. He quickly banished the thought, there was no good reason to be thinking like that. Too many lives depending on him to let himself get distracted by a pair of pretty blue eyes.

“Well said Guardian.” Her little Ghost floated over to them and he saw her face shutter. He wanted to see it again, the loss was keen. He didn’t like seeing the barely disguised fear and hesitation he saw pass over her face. It was quickly overtaken with grim determination, but that brief glance… It sparked something in him.

“It’s time to head out then?” Siobhan asked Arawn who bobbed in answer. “All right. Until next time Lord Shaxx.” The Hunter nodded to him as she turned on her heel to leave the hangar. His belly tightened as he watched her back, that cloak fluttering behind her. She was leaving and her return was still so very uncertain. All he could do was nod and watch her go. He was unused to feeling helpless. He wanted to be at her side, fighting back for their home and the Traveler. While he had purpose at the Farm, it wasn’t enough. His restlessness annoyed Kara, she’d suggested putting together a Crucible for Guardians and civilians alike. He’d initially scoffed at the idea, there wasn’t any way to make it safe. Guardians weren’t the most cautious lot.

His skin itched with the urge to do something. He heard the ship leave with the Guardian on it. On her way to Titan. His eyes watched the ship break through to orbit before settling over the Farm’s inhabitants. What he saw shocked him. The Guardians were just as restless as he was, and channeled their energy into helping the civilians. Temporary buildings were put up in short order, the Guardians far outpacing the civilians with energy. Shaxx realized they needed an outlet just as much as he did, before that energy ignited tempers between the refugees. A cry drew his attention from his thoughts. A small child sat on the ledge weeping into his hands. His tiny shoulders shook with the force of his sobs. Other refugees passed by without sparing the child a glance, and it touched something in him. He couldn’t stand to see anyone’s grief being passed over, especially a child’s. Shaxx went over to the child and stood behind him.

“What are you crying about?” Shaxx watched as the child snapped around and looked up at him. His eyes went wide at the picture of the intimidating Titan behind him. Shaxx towered over the boy, his arms crossed over his chest. He knew he was in trouble and his face crumpled again. He didn’t want to cause trouble for the Guardians, especially not _this_ one.

“You’re just gonna make fun of me too!” He wailed and Shaxx paused in surprise. Understanding swept through him, bullies were prevalent everywhere. Light or no Light. He knelt to the boy’s level. He was used to Guardians, not children. It was a conscious effort on his part to tame his voice and his mannerisms. Though some Guardians reminded him of children at times with their antics.

“I will not make fun of you.” The boy sniffled and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Shaxx admired his bravery in wiping away his tears to explain. That took character. The boy’s face set into mutinous lines and he looked over at a bunch of other children that were playing with a ball. Shaxx followed his gaze and saw the game they were playing.

“They said I can’t play with them. I’m not.” He hiccupped as he tried to hold back the tears. His voice trembling with the unshed tears. Shaxx stayed silent to give him time to explain. “I’m not strong like them. So, I can’t play.” Shaxx narrowed his eyes at the boy, anger simmering below the surface. This was not a time for exclusion, they had to show a united front. Another problem presented itself. How to explain to a child that brute strength wasn’t everything?

“Strength alone is not what makes a man. Even Titans don’t fully rely on just our strength to win battles.” Shaxx moved until he sat beside the boy on the ledge. His feet firmly planted on the ground while the boy’s swung freely. The boy’s mop of wildly curling brown hair was a tad too long, but his hazel eyes gazed up at Shaxx in surprise.

“Yeah? But you guys are the strongest in the Tower! You’ve defeated everyone. My Mom told me the story about the Twilight Gap. You were there and so was Commander Zavala.” Shaxx could hear the hero worship in the child’s voice. Twilight Gap was not a pleasant memory. Too many lives lost that could have been prevented. They’d prevailed but the cost had been great. It was what began his plans for the Crucible. Though, Shaxx had to admit to himself, he hadn’t quite expected it to develop quite like it did.

“Yes. We were there. But there are many different Guardians in the Tower.” Shaxx explained before the boy cut him off. He blinked in surprise.

“But they aren’t as cool as Titans! None of them have done anything as great as you guys.” The boy sulked and crossed his arms. Shaxx was reminded of a Guardian that had mirrored this exact pose and he fought hard not to laugh. Instead he cleared his throat and pondered how to start. Titans were not the omnipotent heroes that it seemed the boy thought. He took a breath and wondered where to begin. A face popped into his head with smiling eyes that glowed the color of the sky above them. His lips curved as he knew the exact story to tell the boy.

“Would you like to hear a story?” The boy turned and nodded with a big grin on his face. He hoped it was a cool story about a Titan, or about Lord Shaxx! Even better, Commander Zavala! “All right. There was one Guardian, nothing made them stand out to anyone in the Tower. Not even to myself or their own Vanguard. They were as ordinary as the next Guardian. Until one day, they weren’t.” Shaxx spoke slowly as he chose which story to pick. He decided that the tale of Oryx would suit. “This Guardian took their friend and themselves to take on one of the greatest enemies the Tower has faced before Ghaul. They had grown impatient, along with their Vanguard, and decided to act before getting the full permission. This Guardian had braved many dangers of the Tower before. They defeated a Vex God in the Black Garden on Mars, gone head to head with the Templar in the Vault of Glass, and helped capture a Fallen Archon who turned on the Reef. This time, they had to face an even worse enemy. They had to face Oryx, the Taken King. In his very own throne world. With only their steadfast friend at their side.” His words were calm and clear as he told the story of the fall of the Taken King. The pair didn’t notice that they’d attracted more attention and had garnered quite the crowd. Several children had stopped their games and sat around the duo. Some Guardians had found perches nearby to listen, though they knew who Shaxx was talking about. Even Hawthorne kept an ear out. The Crucible Master was no great storyteller, but the energy and passion for the story captured his audience. It reached Tyra and she smiled as the tugs of memory pulled at her own mind.

“In the end, these two Guardians made it back to the Tower. Beaten, bloody, and more scarred than before. Not all scars are physical and these two bear the brunt of them on their very souls. But the Taken King’s body remained in the Ascendant realm, defeated at last by two Guardians that had said enough was enough. Their Vanguard was not pleased with their actions, but no one could deny the bravery they both possessed to take on Oryx. To not only face him but to walk away victorious.” Shaxx realized with a start that their audience had grown.

“Whoa! I bet it was Titans!” Another kid protested it and said it was Warlocks. Only Warlocks would be smart enough to make it through Oryx’s realm. The kids were arguing but the little boy that still had tear stains on his face stared at Shaxx. Waiting patiently for his answer.

“Who were the Guardians Lord Shaxx? The ones that defeated Oryx?” He had listened to the story patiently, as entranced as the others but his was a steadfastness that reminded Shaxx of Ikora. The boy would undoubtedly draw upon that strength in these trying times.

“The two Guardians that defeated Oryx were Hunters. Their names are Nevia and Siobhan.” He chuckled at the cries of disbelief. The Guardians all nodded, they’d known the stars of Shaxx’s story. Nevia was far more famous than Siobhan, more for her prowess in the Crucible than anything else. No one faced that Guardian and lived to tell the tale, in the Crucible anyway. She was almost completely undefeated. Despite her pleas, Shaxx wasn’t lifting his ban on Cayde in the Crucible. Nevia wouldn’t be satisfied without facing her lover.

“Wait. Siobhan? The Hunter that came here with my aunt?” One little boy tugged at Shaxx’s mantle. Shaxx tamped down on the impatience, he wasn’t used to children.

“Yes. That one.”

“A _Hunter_ defeated Oryx?” The incredulity in the child’s voice caused another Guardian to snicker. His buddy, a Hunter, loudly smacked him on the shoulder. The kids laughed at his yelp of pain.

“No idiot. Weren’t you listening? It was two.” Another kid piped up. Punches were thrown and Shaxx ended the fight by picking the children up by the backs of their shirts and physically pulling them apart. Their feet dangled several inches off the ground, but it got his point across. The children immediately ceased their arguing.

“Not all Guardians are measured by the strength of their fists nor the strength of their minds. Hunters bring in their own kind of power and strength.” Shaxx explained patiently. Each Guardian was different and no stereotype could, nor should, be applied to them. They were individuals with their own minds and personalities. A Guardian’s class did not define them.

“Oh yeah? Well my Dad said Hunters are just out for their own gain.” One kid spat at Shaxx’s feet. He arched his eyebrow at the boy’s bravery or idiocy, he was still deciding which. Even the Guardians pulled back at the boy’s actions.

“Some are. There are some Titans that are far from noble. Warlocks that have turned from the Light.” Shaxx set the other children down. “A Guardian is not defined by their class. Just as you are not defined by the color of your hair.”

The kids sulked and Shaxx wracked his brain for something to distract them. It was a ticking time bomb. Irritated, bored children paired with bored and irritated Guardians. Such a stressful time for little ones, they needed a way to channel their energy. Something to help blow off what was no doubt a combination of frustration and helplessness. He saw a ball bouncing across the courtyard and picked it up. A long ago bet came to his mind and he thought it fitting that it should come up again. His lips curved into a smile as he remembered, with fondness, the bet. He’d rather cut off his own tongue than admit it to Cayde, but he had enjoyed the game. The kids glanced up at him curiously. “Have you lot ever heard of a game called Dodgeball?”


	4. Chapter 4

“What does he mean that it’s too late? The Hive? Oh why am I not surprised?” Siobhan tightened her grip on the steering column as she brought the ship down close enough for her to jump out. _I was wrong to bring us here_. Siobhan sucked in a breath at the bleakness of his voice. She’d never heard him sound so defeated before. She straightened on the platform she landed on, wincing as the salty air slapped at her cloak. It was already forming a crust on the fabric. Siobhan tried not to let the smell get to her. Death, decay, all tinged with salt. “It smells so bad.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I smell the Hive and all that salty sea water.” Siobhan’s voice was strained from her valiant effort to not cast up her lunch. Arawn huddled underneath her hood, bundled close to her neck.

“It’s like well seasoned decay.” Siobhan’s lips thinned in mild annoyance as she started forward.

“Commander! It’s me, Siobhan. We’re here to help!” She raced over the walkways towards what appeared to be safe cover. She felt too exposed on the platform. The clicks and shrieks of the Fallen and Hive had her feet treading more carefully than in the EDZ.

“No! I won’t lose another Guardian to the Hive! We’ve lost far too many already.” So many. Siobhan bit her lip to resist asking him if her teammates had been caught up in the deceased. She had to keep believing that her family was alive.

“But Commander. We have our Light back!” Arawn cried out in a desperate attempt to stop Zavala’s denial.

“What? That’s impossible!” Zavala’s questions were cut off by Sloane. She had a lot of plans in place, and had zero qualms about getting Siobhan to do it. Siobhan looked over to where the command center was and nodded once. A nod to encourage herself and shore up her courage. Hive were too close to Taken, but Siobhan would rather face them.

“We haven’t even been here more than two minutes and I hate this place.” Siobhan howled as she slipped on the slick metal floor for the third time in as many minutes. Arawn had transmatted her from the ocean floor to the platforms once. “I’ll never get the smell of salt water from my clothes. It’s in my _skin_.” Siobhan kept on despite the rain. She really had not expected to go all the way to Saturn, and she kept her eyes on the area where the Dreadnaught still remained. She also hadn’t expected it to be so much _rain_. The Hive ichor and corruption still turned her stomach. _Blech_. Siobhan listened as Arawn spoke to Zavala about what Titan had been. A cold shudder went down Siobhan’s back as they entered the next room. The air felt oppressive, and it was as if the walls had eyes.

“I’ve got a bad feeling.” Siobhan froze as the high pitched howl shook the room. Siobhan continued onwards, tossing her grenade when the thrall appeared. Their shrieks were like nails on a chalkboard. She panted as the last one feel after they got to the final room. There were too many Hive. “I _hate_ Hive!! Fuck them!!” Siobhan yelled as she tore through the Acolytes. The group of Acolytes centered in the middle of the room and Siobhan pulled forth her Light and tethered them all. One well placed shot and they turned to ash.

“Where do they keep coming from!?” Arawn rolled his eye as Siobhan bitched about all the Hive. She slipped on Hive blood that coated the metal under her boots. “Fuck!” She threw the grenade to prevent the Acolytes from swarming on her like a feeding frenzy. She finally finished them off.

“That. That was a ritual.” Siobhan looked at Arawn. Her Ghost bobbed in response.

“What was it? You speak Hive don’t you?”

“I read Hive. I don’t speak it.” Siobhan corrected as they headed towards an open area after ending the ritual. “Maybe Eris Morn knows more.”

“No one has seen Eris since the City fell.” Siobhan’s shoulders drooped. Ghaul had taken too much from them. While she wasn’t close to Eris, it had been Eris who had helped her learn the Hive language in preparation for the mission to take on Oryx. She’d respected Eris and mourned for her disappearance, the likelihood she was alive was slim.

“There’s the Command Center!” Arawn chirped as they made it out of the tunnels. Siobhan grinned as Sloane told them to clear it for them. “It’s always something isn’t it?”

“Pretty much, but that hasn’t changed in ten years. I didn’t expect it to now.” Siobhan laughed as they launched themselves off the ledge to take on the thralls. While mid-jump, Siobhan pulled out her bow. The purple light illuminating her as it took form in her hands. The thralls tethered together and she used her newly found grenade launcher on them. Maniacal laughter spilled from her at the destruction. “Oh I _like_ this one!” She hugged the gun closer as they took out the Knights that threw some sort of beam at them. “I don’t like you.”

“Recon the perimeter before you take the center.” Sloane informed them as they finished it up. Siobhan saluted and went to the room underneath.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Siobhan moaned and ran a hand over her helmet. The sacks of glowing orange liquid meant one thing. _Trouble_.

“It’s a Hive breeding ground.” Arawn piped up and that only made her want to rip out of her hair more.

“What!? Hive breeding ground? Gross.” Siobhan muttered as they headed on into the room.

“You have your grenade don’t you?” A sinister smile appeared on her face as she took a step back and launched her grenade into the middle of the room. For good measure she hefted the grenade launcher on her shoulder.

“Fuck this place.” Siobhan finished destroying the eggs and the Hive that came to defend them. She walked towards the exit and heard a distinct slop sound. A sickening suction noise that drew her attention upwards. “No, no.” She started forward but the egg exploded above her. The slimy contents landed right on her.

“I’d keep your mouth closed.” Arawn informed her. Siobhan sludged through the goop and whatever else the Hive left behind and exited the room. As soon as she hit the outside every piece of armor she had on was pulled off. She chucked it over the side of the ledge and stood in just her underwear, screaming in frustration about the fucking Hive.

“Do you feel better?” Arawn floated by her head.   
“No! I’ll never get this smell out of my body. I think it’s in my pores!” Siobhan roared as Arawn transmitted her new armor pieces onto her body. The helmet muffled the stream of complaints coming from her mouth. They headed onwards to the platform where more Hive awaited. Her fingers itched and she glanced down at the purple flicker. It had taken the form of a knife, not a bow. Surprise had it puttering out and she looked at Arawn.

“What was _that_?” Her Ghost shook his shell, he didn’t know. It was odd. If only they could talk to the Speaker, he would know what was going on. A shimmer on her right caught her attention. She crept over, keeping her body behind cover as the Hive ignored her presence for the moment.

“Is that… A bow?” Awe filled her voice as she pulled the compound bow out of the rubble. The skeleton it had been attached to crumbled to dust, almost as if it was guarding over the weapon until the right person came along. The empty quiver sunk her heart until she had an idea.

“Are you thinking what I am?” Arawn saw the twinkle in his Guardian’s eyes and caught on quickly.

“You’ve always had a finer grasp on your Light. It should work. Let’s test it out on the big guy.” Arawn bobbed towards the prince that appeared. Gloved hands tightened on the bow as Siobhan straightened. She pulled on the Light within her as she drew the string back. She heard protesting chatter over the channel as both Sloane and Zavala told her it was foolish to use a bow against a target. The arrow formed perfectly in the notch. Siobhan let it fly and the Light burned the prince from within. Arawn let them know the perimeter was secure, the command center could be theirs. Arawn opened the door to the Command Center, and they headed up to the landing platform. To see Commander Zavala and Sloane.

Zavala asked her to get the generators started. _They’re in need of attention_. Siobhan had no doubt that was code for Hive goop. “We can take care of it.” Arawn informed her and she glared at him through the helmet. She didn’t mind helping but being volunteered for crap was annoying. She was going to get supplies at the Command Center before heading out to the generators.

“Siobhan!” The Awoken turned as she heard her name being yelled. She froze in surprise at the person standing in the doorway before she felt the tears well up. It was Nevia, she’d survived the attack on the Tower. Relief swept through her as she took a step towards Nevia. They’d been friends for years, gone through so much in the years. She was more sister than friend now. Tears streamed down her face, tears of happiness, as she felt the solid weight of Nevia slam into her. Laughter mingled with the tears as they realized they were both alive and not an illusion.

“I thought you were dead.” Nevia told her. Siobhan shook her head and explained how she escaped the City with Shaxx and a group of civilians. “You had a chance to grab any weapon from Shaxx’s armory and you didn’t? What were you thinking?” Nevia’s watery laugh took the sting of accusation out of her words. Siobhan smiled as they stepped back from one another. Nevia studied Siobhan, and her eyes widened as she saw the shimmer of void around her friend.

“Guess I had other things on my mind.” Siobhan noticed where Nevia was staring and held up her hand between them. The purple flickered over her hand, startling Nevia. “I got my Light back.” She told her the story about the shard, and how the Light in her felt _off_. “I don’t know how to explain it. Ever since I accepted this Light I keep feeling knives in my hands.” She looked up at Nevia who grinned.

“Your Light is responding to your anger maybe? I’m not good at this. Ikora could answer that question.” Nevia slung her arm around Siobhan’s shoulders. While it stung that her friend had her Light back, it made sense that it was Siobhan.

“Maybe. I’ve been filled with little else since the fall of the Tower.” Siobhan saw Nevia looking at the bow. “It fits with me.” Nevia laughed and pulled out a quiver full of arrows.

“So that’s why I was pulled to grab these. Especially since I don’t use bows.” Siobhan grinned as she accepted the quiver from her friend. Its easy weight felt good on her hip as she settled it there. “It looks good on you.”

“I guess it does.” She looked up and saw the unspoken question in Nevia’s eyes. She shook her head. “I haven’t seen him. I just made it off the Earth after securing the EDZ for the Farm. You should go there.” Siobhan put her hand on Nevia’s shoulder, it would be good for Nevia to get off Titan. Siobhan worried for her friend, knowing how close being to the Hive affected her mind. Flashes of memories of how she’d looked in that cavern, with the shadow of Savathun behind her.

“You’re right. I’ll go when this place is secure.” Nevia could hardly deny Siobhan a request. It wasn’t as if she ever asked her for much. They hugged again before Siobhan headed out to deal with the generators. Nevia felt helpless rage inside herself, mingling with the grief of not knowing if Cayde was okay. She watched Siobhan’s cloak disappear down the corridor and fought the gnawing empty feeling inside of her. And the whispers she heard.

There were few things Siobhan hated more than Hive and Taken. That was cold, but when it was combined with wet? Siobhan was in a nightmare of her own making since she was the one who volunteered to deal with the generators. It was good to hear Amanda’s voice again, yet with it a touch of melancholy. Jareth’s location was still a mystery, and he was her brother. The one who had been with her the longest, and it felt like a piece of her was missing. Amanda asked about him, but Siobhan had no answer for her. Her silence was telling and she knew Amanda worried for the big Titan as much as she did.

“I prefer the snow to this constant rain.” Arawn grumbled as they headed back to the operations center. “At least with snow it doesn’t seep into you like this rain does.” Arawn snuggled against her hood as they jumped towards the command center. Siobhan loved the feeling of jumping through the air, the utter weightlessness as she and Arawn flew was exhilarating. It was one of her favorite things about being a Guardian, that freedom of movement. Enemies fell, both Fallen and Hive, as she and Arawn darted across the decks.

“You look like a drowned rat.” Nevia giggled and Siobhan glared at her and shook her head, spraying the water in all directions. The other Hunter squealed in protest as it got on her. It gave Zavala pause to see the Guardians taking a small joy during the dark times. It struck him then, that it was _hope_ that was the true strength.

“Personally the drowned rat might look better at this point.” Siobhan said as she wrung out her cloak. Nevia told Siobhan she was going to head to the Farm and help out there. She could do far more good there than she could on Titan. It was better than being this close to the Hive, and the Farm seemed a lot drier than Titan. Siobhan mentioned the snow and Nevia groaned before Amanda piped up that she had a ship Nevia could use to reach Earth. After Nevia left Zavala approached Siobhan.

“I didn’t want to say anything with Nevia present Guardian.” A shadow passed over Siobhan, sending a shiver down her back. This must not be good news, if he didn’t want to say it in front of Nevia. “Cayde went to Nessus. We _need_ the Vanguard together for this to work. I’m asking you to go to Nessus and see if you can get Cayde back to us. We… I need Cayde for this to work.” Zavala watched as Siobhan nodded. Both Hunter and Ghost kept their own thoughts quiet, but it was unsettling to hear that note of desperation in Zavala’s voice. He had hope but Siobhan didn’t know how much longer it would remain if she couldn’t find Cayde. She _would_ find Cayde and bring him back. After the things they’d found out with Siobhan running around Titan, they needed something to keep them together.

“Of course. Where will you be Commander?”

“On Earth. I’ll be coordinating pushback efforts with this Hawthorne.” Siobhan wished him the best of luck with that. Hawthorne wasn’t the biggest fan of Guardians and Commander Zavala was essentially the figurehead of what a Guardian was supposed to live up to. She’d have to head back for some resupplying as well.

“We’re heading back to the Farm?” Arawn asked as they got onto their ship.

“Yes. We need to resupply for that long trip to Nessus.” Siobhan told him as they pulled away from the communications center. She watched the Fallen and Hive battle for control of the station without realizing that it was already solidly in the Guardian’s hands.

“Right. There’s no telling what Cayde has gotten himself into this time.” Siobhan had to agree. The Hunter Vanguard wasn’t an Exo known for his discretion. Nor was he known for being subtle. If Cayde was in trouble, it would be _big_ trouble. He didn’t really understand the word subtle.

“Siobhan.” Arawn floated by her head as she turned her head to face him. His voice was different than usual, it had a note of melancholy. “Do you think Guardians can fall in love?”

“What brought on this thought?” Siobhan asked him as surprise flickered across her face. Her heart twisted as a pair of silver colored eyes and a charming smile flew over her mind. She missed him. Almost seven years later and the ache still cut at her. “I do. Cayde and Nevia for one, though I don’t know if they’ll ever be able to go public with their relationship and it was like pulling _teeth_ for either one of them to admit to any depth of feelings for one another. They have a sweet love though. Jareth and Holliday. And…” Siobhan trailed off as a person popped into her mind. And it wasn’t Emyr. The realization stunned her and she shook her head in denial. No, no, no, no. That can’t happen. She can’t go through it again.

“Have you ever felt love?” Arawn swung around to face his Guardian. He saw the flash of pain in her eyes and regretted asking. “Siobhan.”

“It’s fine Arawn. It’s painful, but time has dulled that wound.” She closed her eyes and blew out a breath. “I loved Emyr. He wasn’t the other half to my soul, nothing as cheesy as that. It was simple, easy with him. Even when we disagreed I never doubted my feelings for him nor his for me.” The Ghost nodded and his shell spun as he also remembered Emyr’s fate. “It seems like there is someone else in my heart. I didn’t think I could move on from Emyr, but my heart her other plans. I think it’s been this way for a while, but the pain of his death had put up a wall.” Siobhan smiled tentatively. “But it’s not as if I can be with them though.”

“Why wouldn’t you be with them?” Arawn spun in confusion and blinked his eye at his Guardian.

“Ah, now that’s the question. My answer is simple. He doesn’t know. And I don’t think I could put myself into that kind of situation again. To where my heart can be so vulnerable again. Besides, I doubt he’d look twice at someone like me.” Siobhan murmured as she eased the controls so they could go through Titan’s atmosphere.

“But doesn’t it hurt you?” Siobhan nodded.

“Yes. It does, but at the same time. It would hurt more to be rejected, or for me to watch them die like with Emyr. And I have too much to do right now to focus on feelings for someone who doesn’t see me as anything more than ‘the Guardian.’ There’s just no time.” Siobhan chuckled at the last bit. Her situation was almost pathetic but she never let her feelings get the best of her. She’d just left the Tower when it got to be too much.

“It works for some Guardians. For others? Well, maybe it’s better to just stay alone.” Siobhan murmured as she piloted the ship back to Earth.

“Can I ask who it is Siobhan?” Arawn blinked up at his Hunter, the same one whose hands tightened on the controls.

“It’s complicated. But I don’t mind sharing.” Siobhan told him who it was and Arawn spun in surprise as his body quivered.

“I never noticed.” Siobhan laughed and told him that was good, it meant that no one did. If her own Ghost didn’t notice, then she did a good job of hiding her feelings. Especially with how close their link was. Maybe she’d gotten careless recently, which may have prompted this talk from Arawn. She’d have to be mindful of how she acted again. The last thing she wanted was to worry Arawn. They’d been through so much together. She hummed a song as they broke through Earth’s atmosphere.

“What is that song Siobhan?” The Awoken shrugged. She wasn’t sure what the song was exactly. It was a song that tugged at her memory. The lyrics eluded her but the tune was there in her mind and she was always humming it. She should see if Anna knew what it was. _Til yesterday, I was drowning in tears in my heart. But now that rain is gone._ Siobhan blinked as the lyrics suddenly popped into her head. She wondered if the song’s lyrics now appearing had any connection with her sudden realization. Siobhan shook her head to wave away the thoughts and focused on flying. The ship broke the atmosphere and approached the landing zone for the Farm.

“And we’re back.” Siobhan chuckled as they left the ship. She heard a familiar voice yell her name and she turned to see Nevia rushing at her. Siobhan barely had time to brace herself for the hug this time. Yet the smile stayed on her face as the two Hunters embraced again. A piece of her family was back, Siobhan felt tears burn at the edge of her vision. It felt so good, her Light was fairly bursting with joy.

“Look! Echo made it!” Nevia looked so happy to see the two. “Anna is here too. I saw her talking with Shaxx.” Siobhan felt a rush of elation go through her. Anna made it? One of her fireteam was safe! Her other sister. The Warlock’s gentle smiling face flashed in her mind, her blue eyes shining with amusement. Anna was the rock of Fireteam Siren. She was the one who made sure Jareth and Siobhan didn’t wind up blowing up a random planet with their antics, despite being caught up in them just as often. Arawn bounced happily at the news.

“Anna?” Nevia nodded and stepped back to let Siobhan go find her Warlock friend. She found the human speaking to Shaxx, her armor took some damage and dark circles were etched in the skin under her eyes. But they were the same steady shade of blue that Siobhan would know anywhere. Her feet flew over the ground towards the hangar, oblivious to the calls of everyone else.

“Anna!!” The Warlock turned at the voice, surprise lighting her face. Unmitigated joy spread on her face as she rushed to meet Siobhan. So relieved to see her Hunter sister that she didn’t even finish her conversation. She broke off mid-sentence and ran.

“Siobhan?” The two tightly hugged. Just as unrestrained as her reunion with Nevia, and just as many tears. Both women were so relieved to have each other back. Siobhan felt another piece click back into place. “I didn’t know if you made it or not. But I had a good feeling since I saw Lord Shaxx.” Anna returned the hug tightly. “I don’t know where Jareth is.”

“It’s okay. I’m sure he’s fine where ever he is. He’s resourceful.” Siobhan had to convince herself of this. Jareth was her brother, they’d been through hell and more together. More so than she and Nevia shared. Jareth had been on her original Fireteam with Emyr, and he’d been there when Emyr had sacrificed himself in the Vault of Glass to allow them to escape. Anna nodded and stepped back, they had to remain strong for the third member of their team.

“You’ve got your Light back,” Annalise murmured as she brushed the hair off of Siobhan’s face in an age-old move. “How did that happen?” Siobhan explained about her vision and the journey she made to get to the shard. “I didn’t have a vision like that. So perhaps the Shard selects certain Guardians?”

“I think it only had enough Light in it for one Guardian. After we got our Light back… The shard seemed dead. There was nothing in it calling or pulling to me anymore. I believe it had been saving up its power and when Ghaul attacked, it knew that it had to reach out. Or be destroyed along with the rest of the system.” Anna paused to consider Siobhan’s words. It made sense, even a part of the Traveler would be desperate to survive. Anna commented that perhaps Siobhan had been the only Guardian to survive the journey to it, which was why she was the one to receive the gift. She’d heard about one or two Guardians that went on the same trek after Siobhan but came back just as Lightless as before. Zavala declared it a forbidden zone. Annalise felt sympathy for the shard, it had been alone all its life. Broken off from the Traveler, surrounded by enemy forces constantly seeking its energy. Then the ultimate enemy appeared, cut off the Traveler’s Light to everyone, the shard may have had no choice but to call out to any Guardian. Annalise wondered if it had been coincidence that Siobhan had answered the call, or if the shard had known who it was calling. Could the shard share a connection to the Traveler? It was possible. Annalise sighed quietly. She was one of the few who didn’t believe the Traveler was dead, but merely sleeping. It was reserving its energy, she clung to desperate hope that it would wake to help them.

“You’ve got Commander Zavala back, where are you off to next?”

“Nessus.” Siobhan informed her. A supposedly empty centaur? Anna puzzled over why Cayde would go to a desolate stretch of land, but she also hoped it wasn’t going to be too much of a headache for Siobhan. The two had wandered while they spoke, enjoying the reunion. Anna noticed the bow and Siobhan showed off the trick she did with the arrows. Anna warned her she would be put to the test by the Vanguard for this, she’d never seen anyone manipulate Light like that. Was it the shard’s energy?

Siobhan put the bow back in its holster. She had similar thoughts. The Light seemed different but she put it to being different. The thought the shard had developed its own Light, separate from the Traveler had crossed her mind. A type of mutation. It was plausible. But if they got the Light back, what would happen to Siobhan?

“I’m not jealous Siobhan. I’m worried. I can’t be out there with you to watch your back like always. I don’t like this.” Anna wrung her hands anxiously. She’d just found Siobhan again, and the thought of losing her was too much. It wrapped an iron band around her chest.

“Neither do I. I’d rather have you, Jareth, Nevia, Echo, or anyone I trust at my back too. There’s no choice this time.” Both women recognized that it would be too dangerous for Anna to go with Siobhan. Annalise also recognized that Siobhan would rather sacrifice herself than allow anyone to do it in her place. After Emyr’s actions in the Vault of Glass, Siobhan dug in her heels with putting her friends in danger. Nevia had practically snuck her way into the ship to Oryx’s realm.

“Keep in constant contact with one of us at least, Arawn? It would help relieve our worries here.” Anna smile at the Ghost who blinked in surprise. Arawn bounced in answer and Siobhan chuckled. She heard the peals of laughter and stepped outside to see the children playing with each other. They tossed a brightly colored ball around while running. Guardians joined in with the ball. Siobhan saw how gentle they were with the kids, but she winced as one Warlock went down hard after being pelted with the ball. That was going to leave a mark. The Guardians looked intent on their targets. It reminded Siobhan of the Crucible.

“What is going on?” Siobhan followed the game with a smile until they rounded the corner. Siobhan turned to face Anna with her eyebrow raised.

“It’s Dodgeball.” Nevia explained as she came over to them. Echo was behind her and they stood watching another game begin. “Shaxx taught the kids to play it so they could learn how to dodge. And channel their energy. Hawthorne thought it was the most adorable thing ever, seeing the big imposing Lord Shaxx playing ball with kids.” Nevia grinned at the image of Shaxx bending over to talk to the kids.

Siobhan caught herself about to laugh and coughed to cover it up. Anna glanced at her and her eyes crinkled in laughter. “It seems to have become popular among the Guardians too. So Shaxx set up a Crucible arena for Guardians to test their abilities against one another. Without the whole killing aspect.”

“He did?” Siobhan turned to see several Guardians around Shaxx, just like the Tower. Her heart twisted but she told herself it was for the best. She had other priorities at the moment. Her mind wandered back to the trek to the beacon coordinates. She had surprisingly interesting conversations with Shaxx. He was far more insightful than she’d have imagined. She had enjoyed talking with him, and getting to know him a bit more. Now was the time to buckle down and focus, finding the Vanguard was first. Annalise put her hand on Siobhan’s shoulder in a silent gesture of comfort. “That obvious?” Siobhan tilted her lips up in a hesitant smile.

“Only to me and Jareth. We know you far more than the others. Nevia may have picked up on it, but she’s not as experienced in telling romantic feelings from platonic,” Anna murmured quietly as Nevia and Echo went to join the game. Nevia let out a war cry that had the Guardians screeching in fear. “You’re quite talented at hiding it.”

“Small favors.” The Hunter murmured as she watched the ragtag group rush across the ground.

“You should tell him sometime Siobhan.” Siobhan jerked around to face Anna with wide eyes.

“What? Are you crazy? I can’t.” Siobhan explained. “There’s too much at stake right now. If we survive this, if Ghaul is defeated, and the Red Legion put down then I’ll tell him. Deal?” The Warlock studied her Hunter friend, they’d been on the same fireteam since shortly after Siobhan’s awakening. Only six months after the Vault of Glass disaster. They’d taken on so many enemies and accomplished so much together. Bled together, patched wounds together, and gotten drunk together. She also knew Siobhan had her fingers crossed behind her back. Anna sighed at the Awoken’s sheer stubbornness, but this couldn’t be something she forced.

“I will hold you to this Siobhan.” Anna told her as Arawn bobbed in worry around Siobhan’s head. “Now, I’ll let you get started with your resupply. No doubt you’ll need it for Cayde.” Laughter spilled from her lips at the disgruntled look on Siobhan’s face.

“I love that guy like a big brother but he’s trouble with a capital T.” Siobhan sighed and rubbed the back of her head. She glanced up as she saw Nevia and Echo with the game. It would mean the world for Nevia to know that Cayde was all right, so she’d do her damn best to get him back. Nevia was her sister.

“Off to Nessus I go.” Siobhan murmured as she got the message her ship was ready. She strode past the hangar and heard that voice boom for her.

“Guardian!” The booming voice only belonged to one person. She froze midstep, knowing full well that she was the Guardian he was yelling. Butterflies danced in her stomach at his voice, even if it wasn’t her name. Arawn materialized beside her and looked at her in concern. Siobhan sighed and turned around with her hands clasped behind her back.

“What can I do for you Lord Shaxx?” The tiniest of movement caught her attention and she looked down. The huge imposing Crucible master with four children surrounding him, one grasping at his Titan’s Mark. They stood behind him, as if afraid of her. She heard the whispers about her being Awoken. Siobhan assumed they had little experience with her people, though it was funny calling the Awoken that. She had no lasting connection to the Reef, so cut off from her memories. Arawn bobbed around her head as he saw the children. He loved children, and his eye glowed happily at the sight. He floated closer to the kids to greet them with an enthusiastic spin of his shell. One of the children reached out to touch him and he bumped against their hand, causing them to squeal in delight. Siobhan smiled at the sight of Arawn playing with the little girl who tentatively stroked his shell. The look of genuine awe and joy in the girl’s face warmed her heart. Arawn looked pleased as he let the girl pat him and hold him gently.

“Are you _really_ the Hunter that took on Oryx?” One little boy stepped forward from the rest as he addressed Siobhan. Surprise flitted across her face as the memories rushed at her. Pain, razor sharp and clear, burst upon her senses at the memory of Oryx’s blade at her back. The Taken swarming them, Oryx’s daughters and their songs. The dreaded tension in the air, the _wrongness_ of it. It threatened to sever the thread of her sanity. She ruthlessly pushed them back, the child didn’t mean anything by his question. Though the skepticism in his voice had her chuckling. It was really odd to think she was the one who took down the Taken King.

“Yes. I was one of the ones that took on Oryx.” Siobhan murmured in a softer voice. It took some effort to keep the tremble of memories out of it, but she smiled. Siobhan knelt down until she was eye level with the boy, though he was tall.

“You don’t look very strong.” He told her snidely. He got popped on the head by one of the other kids as Siobhan started in surprise. She muffled the laughter at the glare from the other children as he rubbed the back of his head. The children chided him about making assumptions.

“She’s a Hunter you doofus.” The other boy snapped. They lunged for one another and Shaxx reached in to separate them. Siobhan covered her mouth with her hand as she fought the giggles. This looked like a routine with as easily as he snagged their shirts and set them down away from each other. Siobhan had straightened when the boys had lunged for one another and she cleared her throat to get their attention.

“You’re right. I’m not as strong as a Titan. I’m smart, but nowhere near as smart as my friend Annalise.” Siobhan smiled at the kids. She saw some of the girls perk up. Anna always had a way with kids, and would help Aine out in the City with her orphanage, it wasn’t surprising the kids knew her. Siobhan thought about what to say next, she had little difficulty accepting her weaknesses. She wasn’t built for brute strength like Jareth, nor was she as smart as Anna. It was just facts, but she also had something they lacked. They balanced each other out. Annalise balanced out Jareth and Siobhan’s impulsiveness. They, in turn, made sure Anna wasn’t stuck in a rut trying to figure out the best strategy.

“Then what can you do?” The boy glanced back as the other kids started snickering. _Oh, so that’s how we’re going to play it._ She didn’t mind answering honest questions but sarcasm and that condescending attitude deserved her party tricks. Siobhan kept her smile in place as she figured out what she was going to do.

Shaxx saw the sinister note enter her smile and he waited to see what she had planned. He knew she was too kind to play any cruel jokes on the children, nor would she genuinely frighten them. It wasn’t in her nature to be cruel. The boy did deserve to know that his attitude wouldn’t be tolerated, he’d obviously ignored Shaxx’s lectures on it. Time for a reality check.

“You see, Titans are in your face with their attacks. Their fists and hammers will announce their presence long before you see the Titan themselves. Even the Void users dislike being subtle. Warlocks can use stealth, but they’re far more concerned with ending a battle as quickly as possible. None of their Light is what I’d call subtle.” Siobhan grinned as she thought of Dawnblades and Voidwalkers. The kids watched her expectantly, enraptured by how she told the story. Even Shaxx found himself entranced as she spoke, her voice had a melodic tone to it that soothed.

“And Hunters?” The boy asked as he crossed his arms. Siobhan grinned and then looked past them.

“Look! Is that Louis doing a dive!?” She pointed towards the door and all the children, and a couple Guardians, scrambled to see. Louis puffed his feathers on his perch at being used as an excuse.

“Hey! That’s not.” The kids turned but Siobhan was gone. Shaxx stood in his spot and Arcite tapping away at a keyboard. “Where did she go?” They looked around the ground floor but none of them spotted her. Finally, the boy turned to Lord Shaxx and clasped his hands in front of him. His head bowed as he spoke. “Did, did I scare her away?” Shaxx saw the grin curl on his face.

“Hardly.” Shaxx waved his hand at the boy. His head snapped up and they heard the excited shrieks from outside. The ball zipped towards the kids in the barn, and they all cried out as it headed straight for the boy. It halted with a loud smack, inches from his face. His eyes widened as it hovered in mid-air. Siobhan’s body materialized out of thin air, and he jumped back at seeing her.

Siobhan tossed the ball back outside, pelting one Guardian in the side and sent him down. Tiny jaws dropped at seeing how strong she was. The Hunter turned to the boy. “Hunters? You never see us coming. We stick to the shadows, to the edges of a battlefield. Get us up close and you’ll see how dangerous we can be.” She turned her gaze to him and he swallowed. He heard his name being called and dashed away. Arawn floated back up to Siobhan, nudging her cheek.

“You’re nice. I like you.” The little girl tugged on her cloak. Siobhan knelt until she was eye level with the little girl. “He wouldn’t be so nice if you weren’t.”

“Heh. It’s more or less the opposite. Arawn has always been nice. Far nicer than me at times.” Arawn preened at her words and the girl giggled. She tugged again at Siobhan’s cloak.

“I want to be a Hunter.” Siobhan smiled sadly but Arawn nudged her. She remembered the scrap of cloth from the time the Tower fell. Arawn transmatted it to her and she smiled down at it. _Howling Wind_ had been Emyr’s. She’d kept it with her for years as a vow. To take revenge and let his memory live through her. Yet, Siobhan knew it was time to let go. Emyr would be beyond thrilled to see the kids playing with his cloak, or what was left of it. He’d loved children, and had been so good with them.

“Well, I’ll tell you what every good Hunter needs. A good knife, which you’re a little too young for, and a fabulous cloak.” She draped the cloth over the child’s shoulders, tying it loosely at her neck. It fell to her knees and she felt a bittersweet sting to her heart at seeing the emblem fluttering on the child’s back. “Which I just happen to have here.” The girl held the cloak in her hands, just staring at the cloak in wonder. Suddenly, she threw her weight at Siobhan in a full body hug. They both went tumbling as Siobhan landed hard on her butt, but she returned the hug just as enthusiastically. Tears blurred the edges of her vision but she kept them at bay.

“Thank you! Thank you!” The little girl straightened and waited until Siobhan was up off the floor. “What’s your name?”

“Siobhan. What is yours?”

“Jessie. You’re the one who got your Light back? I heard my Mom talking about it.” Jessie saw Siobhan nod and smiled. “I knew it! You’ll go kick Ghaul’s butt won’t you?” Siobhan smiled and laughed. Shaxx sucked in a breath as he saw how her face changed when she laughed. The wall she put up with everyone crashed into rubble as happiness blasted through.

“I will. I’ll even throw in one more just for you.”

“You will!? That’s so cool! Just wait until I tell my Mom I met you!” Jessie ran off after waving good-bye, the other children hot on her heels. Siobhan watched as _Howling Wind_ flapped in the wind behind her little body. Siobhan smiled as they all disappeared around the corner.

Shaxx stood next to Siobhan as they watched the children run off. Her words rung in his chest like the bell atop an old cathedral. Resonating deep within him. “You were serious in that promise weren’t you?” Her blue eyes snapped up to his and he saw grim determination shining there.

“Every word. Ghaul is going to regret the day he decided to steal our Light.” Her fists were clenched as she stared at the Farm. “There’s too much at stake. Ghaul has a weapon called the Almighty. It’s pointed at our sun.” The words that she’d heard over her comm line as the Cabal transmission was cracked would haunt her dreams. “He plans to destroy our system and everything in it once he has the Light from the Traveler.”

“I knew Cabal were ruthless bastards. This goes beyond what I imagined.” Shaxx crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Failure isn’t an option I’m even willing to consider. I _will_ stop Ghaul and nothing will stand in my way.” Siobhan let her eyes roam until she spotted Nevia, Anna, and Echo. There was far too much at stake to not succeed.

“Where are you off to next?”

“Nessus. I’m getting my ship ready and supplies before I take off. Cayde is there.” They both understood the wealth of meaning there. Shaxx nodded and dared a glance at her. Shielded by his helmet he felt safe doing so. That spark he’d seen in her the first time in the Crucible shone bright as the sun. Her inner strength drew him. Many others would throw down the gauntlet in the face of such odds, but she merely dug in her heels and shouldered through.

“Tell me something. Many other people would give up or let other people take the lead. Why are you so persistent in saving so many who will never spare you a glance on the street?” Shaxx shifted until he could face as and saw her pause in consideration.

“I could come up with some mystical explanation about the greater good. How the masses all deserve to be protected by the ones who are stronger.” Hawthorne bristled on the stairs as she came down them. She’d been wrong about this Guardian? Disgust coated her tongue. “But that’s not it. I’m saving this world for one reason.” Siobhan held up a finger in front of Shaxx’s chest.

“I’m one of the idiots that lives in it.” Laughter escaped from Shaxx in one burst. Hawthorne resisted the urge to laugh herself as Siobhan shrugged. “You wanted to know. I care about everyone. Can’t deny that. But it mostly boils down to that if Ghaul wins then we all die. Including me and I’ve already died once. Don’t remember it but pretty sure I’d rather not experience it again. So I’m going to fight Ghaul to my last bitter breath.” Her hands propped on her hips as she waited for the laughter to die down from them.

“That’s as good a reason as any Guardian. I wish you luck. You should test your mettle in the new Crucible matches I have set up.” Shaxx patted her shoulder.

“When I get back from Nessus I will.” Arawn popped out to let her know the ship was ready. “Time to go. Be safe Lord Shaxx.” Siobhan patted his shoulder before she skipped off to her ship.

Shaxx watched her go and analyzed his feelings. He’d felt the loss of her hand on his shoulder keenly, despite not being able to feel it through his armor. An inexplicable emotion welled up in him, and the fierceness of it startled him. He’d been distracted with getting everything set up for the Guardians that he could push these irritating feelings away. Now with her smiling face back those damn flutters were back. Annoying little things. The warmth bloomed in his chest as he watched her go and he realized he was worried about her. Genuinely worried for her. It made no sense. She had her Light back and was in no danger of dying permanently. Not like the Guardians that stayed around the Farm. Yet, there was that worrisome urge that he needed to keep her safe. These protective feelings were intrusive and he didn’t need them when the world was in such chaos. He wasn’t fit to be anyone’s partner as he was. Lightless and weak. Shaxx clenched his fist and shook off the thought. Those thoughts would be his downfall. Siobhan had gone on to the shard, alone, when she’d been Lightless. Her stubbornness hadn’t allowed her to give up, and neither would he. Drawing on his reservoir of strength he turned to the hangar. He ruthlessly pushed them back and focused on the Guardians that were pouring into the hangar. The Hunter with bright blue eyes could handle herself. Even if her smiling face haunted his thoughts during idle times.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used my own headcanons here and tweaked canon. Just a bit.

Siobhan and Arawn approached Nessus with Arawn going into one of his monologues. It always relaxed Siobhan to listen to him speak and she could use a good dose of calming her nerves. The Almighty was still a mystery, but she was sure they’d find a way to safely destroy it. She wouldn’t let herself believe anything else, there _had_ to be a way around the deathtrap. If only she could find Ikora, the Warlock Vanguard or her Hidden would surely have the answers. Arawn mentioned getting a weird signal from Cayde’s ghost on the centaur Nessus, breaking through her thoughts. Siobhan steered them towards the empty centaur. They landed on top of what appeared to be a metal Vex construct. The age old hate boiled in her chest, a constant when it came to the metal machines. She would never try to understand the Vex, she just needed to know how to put them down.

Arawn began scanning the area after snarking about the centaur not being as bare as previously thought. Well, supposedly empty. Siobhan grimaced as she saw the abundant plant life there, what could the Vex be planning by making the vegetation come to life on Nessus? Siobhan knew better than to try and apply her logic to the Vex, if only that strange Exo was there. She could help with some words of advice for her. Sadly, ever since defeating the Black Garden Siobhan had never seen the woman again. Blue eyes scanned the landscape below them, spotting Harpies and Goblins down below. She shook her head and tugged her hood up.

“This is unusual. What could have cause this kind of growth in something that’s normally barren? We’ll probably be sent to investigate this as well.” Siobhan grumbled as she brought up her sniper to get a good look at her surroundings. It wasn’t her old Icebreaker, but it would do in a pinch. Siobhan wasn’t that eager to investigate the Vex, but it was probably a good idea to look into. Maybe the Tower could replicate the way the Vex manipulated the way the plants grew and could help farmers. It was an idle thought, she had Arawn transmat her sniper away and bring back her bow. It was a comfortable weight now, something she preferred over a hand cannon or auto rifle. Arawn didn’t understand her attachment to the bow, but he let her do what she wanted. Enemies fell either way, which was the result they were after. A few moments later a broken comm from Cayde came through.

“In over my head. Vex trap. Failsafe?” Static broke the transmission up and Arawn looked at her with his wide blinking eye. He shook his head at her unspoken question. A weary sigh escaped her, she’d have to go on foot to find Cayde. At least Nessus wasn’t big, but _still_! Her Vanguard was causing trouble again. This was just like when he stole Eris’s ship so she could get onto the Dreadnaught. When Eris had come to lecture her, she made sure Cayde wasn’t going anywhere and received his fair share of the lecture too. His grumbling about Nightstalkers and their tethers had lasted for about a week before Nevia snapped him out of it. Eris had lectured them for hours. Thinking about it brought a chuckle now at the memory tinged with bittersweet. Siobhan hoped Eris was alright, where ever she was.

“Vex trap? What did Cayde get into this time?” Arawn bobbed in annoyance as they approached the edge of the metal construct.

“I warned you it would be big. I don’t know if Cayde understands anything other than grand scale. Remember Oryx?” Siobhan grinned as Arawn rolled his eye, before they headed towards the lift area and let the gravity well bring them down to the ground. Arawn grumbled about the inconvenience of it as they set boots on the ground. She didn’t bother hiding the chuckle at her Ghost’s opinion as they floated down.

“And now he’s dragging us into it.” Arawn grumbled while Siobhan laughed as they scanned the area. “Something is boosting that signal into space. Let’s find it. I bet if we can find what’s transmitting the signal out, we’ll find Cayde.” Siobhan hoped that was the case. It would be an easy fix but when did anything ever go easy for them? Everything going too easy usually meant bigger trouble up ahead.

“Ever the optimist eh Arawn?” Siobhan laughed as they followed the faint signal from a wrecked ship. The bow did nice work as it took out Harpies and Goblins alike. There was something satisfying in watching the arrows pierce through the red glowing eyes of the machines. The explosions that happened afterwards were just a nice bonus. The wrecked ship was up ahead, the metal almost overtaken by vines. Nature overcoming man, there should be a lesson there but Siobhan happily ignored it for the moment. Too bad nature couldn’t overcome the Vex, that would be something nice to see. She sighed as Arawn pointed out the console he needed, at the top of the ship. “Why is it always the top? Why can’t anything be easy to reach?” Siobhan scrambled up the side of the ship, jumping on the vines and hauling herself over the top.

“You’re just short.” Siobhan screeched in outrage at Arawn’s flippant response as she stood in front of the console. It drew the attention of some of the local Vex that had respawned after she’d wiped out their brethren. “Ooh, that was a nice imitation of a Harpy. What?” Arawn spun his shell innocently as Siobhan glared at him from behind her helmet. He turned around and began scanning the console to investigate the signal.

“Hello. Are you here to rescue the Cayde-6 unit?” Siobhan jerked back as the female voice came through the line, losing her balance and falling flat on her ass, as Arawn addressed the female voice coming from the console. Siobhan was _not_ happy about this. There was something oddly mechanical in that voice, the way it was way too cheery also grated on her nerves. Siobhan couldn’t deal with perky, she _hated_ perky. The conversation finally sank in through her cranky thoughts and she grumbled more.

“A teleportation loop? This just keeps getting better and better.” Siobhan sighed and shook her head in exasperation. What had he gotten himself into this time? And if she couldn’t pull his ass out of the fire, then Nevia would kick _her_ ass. Then she’d no doubt travel to Nessus and find some way to kick Cayde’s again. Siobhan would be damned if Nevia would be sad because Cayde didn’t make it out, even if she had to go into the Vex network she’d get him out. Arawn grumbled as they learned Cayde was constantly moving thanks to whatever trap he had managed to get himself into. And she didn’t have a Sparrow, _wonderful_.

“I can help you!” “ _But I’m going to be super unpleasant about it_.” Siobhan blinked at the sudden change in the AI’s attitude. _Fractured AI?_ The AI uploaded the new coordinates for them, and Siobhan started in that direction. Arawn was a little more nervous than she was. He didn’t trust the newcomer at all, and was very vocal about it much to Siobhan’s amusement.

“How do you know that Failsafe isn’t going to send us off a cliff?” Siobhan snorted at the question. She was clumsy, but not _that_ clumsy.

“Cause I can at least see the cliff?” Siobhan told him as they traveled along to where Cayde supposedly was. Running and killing Vex was annoyingly repetitive. First thing she was doing when she got back was bug Holliday for a Sparrow. She wasn’t lazy but it was a long trek to Cayde’s location. Time better spent finding a way to the Almighty or a way to stop the Almighty. Instead, she was going to go rescue her best friend’s boyfriend from whatever cockamamie plan he’d thrown himself into. She didn’t like it.

“Fine. I still don’t like it.” “Duly noted.”

Arawn began to chat with the AI which announced itself as Failsafe. Siobhan had to admit it had a pleasant personality, except when it lapsed into what she was quickly coming to term the Fractured Failsafe. Then it was amusing. Failsafe was beginning to grow on her. Arawn got Failsafe to talk about how the centaur became a livable entity. She noted that the Vex having an interest in the centaur was odd and would look into it later, after getting Cayde out. She paused at the cavern’s mouth. Underground. A quick flash of ear piercing shrieks and clicks went through her mind before she banished them. Underground usually meant Hive, the tunnels on the moon were vivid in her mind. That time she went with Cayde to find Nevia, it was forever branded in her subconscious. Vex being underground wasn’t unheard of, the Vault of Glass was proof of that. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she stepped down into the darkness, lit only by a few glowing tendrils creeping along the wall. This time she had a ramp, no freefall. That never really ended well for her when it came to freefalling. While she loved the feeling of the air rushing by her, snapping her cloak behind her, the landing was something she’d never stick. A fact of life for her. She got to the bottom and allowed her eyes to adjust to the light difference. The room was circular, which was odd enough, but a bobbing light in the center got her attention. Siobhan knew what it was before her eyes registered the familiar figure floating there.

“Cayde!” Siobhan called out as they approached him. He looked like he was in distress, and that worried Siobhan. Was he in pain? Still didn’t excuse him for doing something stupid, but she’d at least work a little faster if it hurt him.

“Someone there!?” Cayde paused and recognized Siobhan. “Oh thank. It’s you. Look, don’t ask me how this happened. I don’t have time to explain what I don’t have time to understand.” Siobhan arched an eyebrow and she crossed her arms over her chest.

“You touched Vex tech and got caught in a teleportation trap. Failsafe told me all about it. Nevia is going to enjoy kicking your ass when I tell her.” Siobhan grumbled.

“Come on, you’re not going to tell her are you?” Her response was delayed as Cayde disappeared in a small burst of light. Siobhan blinked in surprise and looked around in alarm. Was that how the Vex loop thing worked? Oh boy was Cayde in more trouble than she thought. Failsafe spoke up as the Hunter Vanguard disappeared to the next destination.

“Warning the Vex will vaporize you.” Siobhan deadpanned as she dove for cover at Failsafe’s warning. At least she got a warning. Siobhan switched to her favorite pulse rifle before eliminating the Vex. The minotaur got the bow, it was just so satisfying seeing it explode with the arrow sticking out of it. The arrow disappeared with a flick of her wrist, oddly enough using her Light to make arrows didn’t exhaust her as much as she’d thought. Granted she still used regular arrows for the weapon, but it was just so thrilling to see her Light take the shape of an arrow in the bow.

“So, are you going to call Nevia?” Arawn asked as Siobhan nudged the Minotaur with her foot. She watched the ruined shell roll with a soft clang against the stone ground. Siobhan grinned sinisterly behind the helmet and nodded once. Oh she was going to tell Nevia, maybe not call her though.

“I’ll email her instead. Might be safer that way. I don’t want to be the one on the receiving end of her anger. That should be for Cayde, he was the idiot who ran away from home without telling anyone.” Siobhan brought up her handheld console and typed in a quick message to her friend. She hoped just knowing Cayde was alive would bring her a small amount of comfort, and the promise that she’d extract him from whatever foolhardy scheme he’d gotten into would be enough to alleviate some of the anger.

_VoidStalker: Cayde is safe-ish. On Nessus. He seems to be trapped in a Vex loop trap or something. It involved a lot of complicated tech talk that I don’t know, so I’m going to get him out and then let you have the honor of kicking his ass for touching something he didn’t understand. Cause he admitted it._

“You really said that?” Arawn sighed as she hit send. Hopefully this will help ease some of Nevia’s worry and sadness. At least she’d have a channel for her anger. She hated seeing one of her good friends so devastated. The thought that Cayde was dead, it was misery for Nevia. Siobhan remembered how she’d been after Emyr’s death, it had been horrible. And horrible was an understatement.

“What? Nevia will probably hug, cry, and then punch him for being stupid. And probably not in that order either. Which he fully deserves. He did touch Vex tech without knowing what the hell it did. I just wanna know why he came to Nessus? And where the hell do I go now?” Arawn had to agree with her on that point.

“So, Failsafe. What exactly happened?” Arawn asked Failsafe. The AI helpfully explained that she had tried to warn Cayde but he’d failed to listen to her warning. The Fractured Failsafe quipped that he wasn’t very smart.

“This could be better.” Siobhan listened to the banter between Arawn and Failsafe. Siobhan hated going under the ground, especially when it came to Vex. It reminded her too much of the Vault of Glass. That had no good memories for her either. She could only remember the Guardians that failed before her and the Gorgons. With their eerie glowing eyes, and the Templar. Emyr had sacrificed himself so they could make it past the Gorgons, the other Titan on the Fireteam refused to sneak. Siobhan had been pinned down by one of the Gorgons and Emyr had led the Gorgons away while she’d screamed at him to stop. Jareth had physically carried her away from the spot. She shook her head to clear the memories of the desperation. Failsafe commented on her silence as they traveled towards the next location. Arawn explained about the Vault of Glass and how her fireteam had defeated the Vex within it.

“Hobgoblins. Fuck Hobgoblins.” Siobhan snarled as the sniper beam grazed her cloak, scorching the fabric. She sent two arrows towards them, each finding purchase in the ruby red eye of the Vex. More Vex materialized and she rushed for cover. Her grenades and sidearm came in handy with eliminating the Goblins that appeared. Quick succession of shots, controlled pairs to the eyes and they fell at her feet. The Minotaurs were taken down with her bow, she kicked at their bodies afterwards. Childish but there was so much pent up anger inside her regarding the Vex, she needed an outlet.

“Curiosity is what got Cayde into this mess, Arawn.” Siobhan reminded him as he wanted to know more about the Vex technology that had trapped Cayde. They traveled further in the caverns after Cayde’s signal. The ledge opened up and she paused to look. The core of the centaur was glowing, washing everything in a scarlet hue. She narrowed her eyes to study it and swore it pulsed as if alive. That was weird, and moving on. Siobhan headed towards her next destination, if it was a little faster than normal, well that was only for her to know.

“The Cayde-6 is just beyond that Vex gate.” Hunter and Ghost stared at the Vex gate with trepidation. Siobhan did have to laugh at Failsafe’s crack at Cayde’s judgment. He really had good intentions but needed to curb those impulses. Siobhan winced as she really shouldn’t be judging Cayde about impulsive decisions. All her decisions popped in her mind and she sighed. No, she really couldn’t judge Cayde-6 for impulsive decisions.

Siobhan shook her head and headed towards the gate. She never liked the feeling of going through one of these things. It felt like she as being pulled in a hundred different directions at once. One wrong turn and she could wind up in a completely different Vex timeline. The thought petrified her, and kept her from looking around as she went through. They finally traveled through and down the Vex elevator. Her skin felt like an army of ants was crawling on the surface and she shuddered once to try and get rid of the feeling. She turned as she heard her name being called.

“Hey! Siobhan! Over here! Get me out of here!” Cayde yelled out from his position. Siobhan grumbled something about needing to know exactly _how_ she was supposed to do that when the Hydra appeared. “Oh yeah, there’s a Vex here too!”

“Goddamn it Cayde.” Siobhan yelled at him as she pulled out her rocket launcher and ducked behind cover. Luckily, she’d gotten Arawn to hold onto it for her when they’d gone underground. The Hydra was a tough son of a bitch. The rubble vibrated as it flew over the room, causing Siobhan to find cover numerous times. She dared a peek out from behind cover and grumbled as more Vex showed up. Time to get tough. She jumped out from her cover with the rocket launcher on her shoulder. She’d only get one shot at this, and she would make it count. Cayde yelled at her to get out of the way in the background, but they fell away as the Hydra came into her crosshairs. Its beam fired towards her, slicing cleanly through her armor. The burn as it pierced her skin spread up, her arms shook from the pain. Siobhan focused on the pain and channeled the anger into her attack. Arawn was already healing it, and Cayde cheered as he saw the wound patched up. Siobhan yelled at him to pipe down as the Hydra’s shields finally offered her a shot. The commentary didn’t stop despite her yelling at him.

She tossed the launcher on the ground and felt the void form in her hand. The whispers pulled at her mind, urging her to decimate her enemy. _Don’t leave a single one standing._ The arrow flew and hit true, the Vex were all tethered together. She scooped up her rocket launcher, sliding it onto her shoulder with well practiced ease. One shot was all it took, the machines went down in a fiery explosion that rocked the cavern. Siobhan was rocked backwards by the force, prevented from falling on her ass by a concrete barrier. Cayde yelled at her to get over there and she leisurely made her way over to his floating self.

“Quick! Hurry! I don’t know how long this portal is gonna stick.” Siobhan opened her mouth to call him an idiot when he interrupted them. “Stop-stop-stop. Look, long story and it may look like I don’t know what I’m doing, but I do.” She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Okay… Maybe not. It doesn’t matter.” Her snort of derision wasn’t lost on the Hunter Vanguard. He was just thankful someone had come for him. He’d been ready to just give in and accept his fate of staying in the loop continuously. Now Siobhan was here, and she’d mentioned Nevia. Nevia was alive? Cayde’s heart leapt at the news, but he had to focus for now.

“Killing the power source at the origin source should break the loop and get me out of the portal system.” He twisted to face her. “Say you have that. Please say you got that! Say something!” Cayde begged.

“This better not have me fighting another Hydra!” Siobhan retorted.

“Oh, my cotton socks!”

“You don’t wear socks.” Arawn interrupted. “Do you?”

“Did you not hear what I said!?” He suddenly vanished and left Siobhan and Arawn staring at the spot he had previously been in. Siobhan blew out an annoyed breath, this was complicated. Of course it was. She shook her head while one hand massaged the forehead of her helm. Siobhan straightened and headed out of the cavern.

“I’m guessing this is why they don’t like him leaving the Tower.” Arawn grumbled as Siobhan continued on towards the exit. She knew why Cayde wasn’t really allowed to leave the Tower, if he did then he probably wouldn’t return.

“Nevia is not going to like this.” Arawn shook his body and let out a huge sigh for such a little Ghost. It made her grin at his irritation.

“Let’s go get Cayde. _Again_.” Arawn huffed as they traveled to the next coordinates. They learned about the structures and the Vex fluid that was on the ground. Radiolarian, or Vex milk. It sounded disgusting. Looked disgusting too, as Siobhan jumped from rock to rock in an effort to avoid the stuff.

“Ow! Jeez, don’t touch it. Got it!” Siobhan cried out as she slipped and the heel of her boot fell into the liquid. The shock went right up her back, she felt it everywhere. Siobhan jerked it away and danced to safe ground.

“Okay. We’ll make sure to avoid it from now on.” Arawn told her and they continued on. Siobhan shook her leg which still had tingles of electricity through it. “Whatever could have brought Cayde to this planet?” Failsafe chimed in that she knew the answer. “Stop listening in on us! Also, what is it?”

“He asked me not to tell anyone.” Siobhan could feel Arawn shaking with frustration at the quirky AI’s responses. It amused her to see Arawn to flustered. He was so infallible normally that seeing him like this was too cute. Failsafe warned her of incoming Vex and she dove for cover. She also made sure to avoid any areas that could have her touching the radiolarian fluid.

“These things explode now!?” Siobhan shrieked as she took one out and it left behind a sparking field. She was used to Cursed Thralls, but now it seemed the Vex copied it. As if the Vex couldn’t get _any_ worse, they started to imitate the fucking Hive. Siobhan scrambled onto a tall column that kept her out of the range of those exploding Vex goblins. She bitched about the new Vex while Arawn scanned the enemies. Siobhan used her tether as often as she could to take out the exploding Vex, handy to keep them at a distance. She also noted they would take out other Vex around them if they exploded close to them. She kept a note in her mind about it. The room was underground, spacious, and full of Vex. The perfect trifecta of suck. She destroyed all of them but it took a lot out of Siobhan. Her cloak was singed from the Vex weaponry and her armor bore scorch marks. Her body ached from the wounds that came from shots that got past her armor. She was tired, sweaty, and unsurprisingly pissed off. She wanted to give Cayde a good shake for his idiocy, a shower, and a good meal. Not particularly in that order either. She followed the coordinates to the Vex teleporter. The machinery looked beautiful, it resembled pictures of a lotus blossom Siobhan had seen in pictures. She wanted to touch it but knew better. She wasn’t willing to wind up like Cayde.

Siobhan could hear Cayde cheering on the other end as she picked up the device, after ensuring she wouldn’t be caught in the same loop as he was. She glared at the wall after hearing his cheering. “I did all the work. What is he doing claiming credit?” Arawn spun next to her as she groused.

“Cayde, for the love of everything holy shut up. Please? Tell me where you are so I can get to you.” Siobhan groaned as she ran a hand over her helm. This man exasperated her. The situation exacerbated things, she just wanted to get off this centaur. Cayde was the key to that. Her patience was thinning in record time as she waited for Cayde to answer.

“I. Have no idea.” Cayde told them. Failsafe informed them that he was near her reactor core. That was a start. She headed towards the exit and the glowing gate pissed her off. Her fists clenched at her sides, why was it always something. She just wanted one thing to go easy for once!

“Damn it. Not another Vex gate.” Siobhan grumbled and leapt through it. She heard Cayde chattering away on the comm line as she made it out. The banter between the three was amusing but Siobhan just wanted to see sky. The glow of azure drew her towards the exit. She burst out from the ruins and took a deep breath of fresh air. The sky never looked as good as it did when she got out from the ground.

“Oh hey. The Fallen have the Vex in a tizzy. By tizzy I mean murderous rampage. I’m just gonna hunker down in the Exodus Black.” Well, that didn’t last long. Siobhan’s head drooped as she realized there was even more trouble to deal with.

“Cayde, I swear. You are the only person I know who can get into trouble from _hiding_.” Siobhan told him as she began her journey towards the reactor core. It would be good to see Cayde and Failsafe. Not just hear Failsafe on the comm line. Her feet moved at a brisk pace across the ground, but she wasn’t going to run unless she needed to. Cayde needed rescuing but he didn’t merit running.

“I’m hurt.” Failsafe informed Cayde that the Fallen were converging on their coordinates. Siobhan groaned as she upped her pace to a light jog.

“Damn it Failsafe. They’re shooting at me!” Cayde yelled into the comms. Siobhan had to face palm at the situation. She’d been talking ironically earlier, but damned if Cayde really couldn’t get into trouble from hiding. If it didn’t cause her such a headache, she’d have found it hilarious. Later, she’d probably laugh at the story of this.

“Then I advise you not to get shot.” Siobhan snorted at Failsafe. She liked Failsafe and headed towards Cayde’s location. Once, she’d have paused to enjoy the scenery as it rushed past her. Crimson leaves, brightly colored flowers, it was beautiful. She was intent on getting to Cayde and Failsafe before the Fallen did, and nothing would stop her from getting there. She paused in her travels as the enormous Vex appeared in front of them and the gate they needed to travel through. It was a non-functioning gate, but apparently a Gate Lord was still required.

“That is a really big Vex.” Okay, one thing could cause her to stop. And that was a really big fucking Vex.

“Oh, goddamn it.” Siobhan whined as she switched to her rocket launcher. The Vex and the Fallen were both being pains in her ass. She was done with them and took out all the frustration and anger she had simmering in her body on the enemies. She was exhausted, standing in the wake of around fifty or so corpses, with the ground singed from her rockets, grenades, and _Shadowshot_. Her breaths came in ragged pants and her hands shook from the effort it took to hold up her pulse rifle. The Gate Lord’s corpse was behind her, Arawn floated up next to her head. It was a literal warzone but it did little to ease her rage. She turned and kicked the Vex lying there on the ground. And howled in outrage as pain shot up her leg.

“Feel better?” Cayde’s voice filtered over her comm and only renewed the frustration that burned in her chest. Her eyes narrowed at his cocky tone.

“I already sent an email to Nevia telling her what you did.” Her deadpan reaction startled him and it came through over the comms. Nevia was going to be furious.

“You wouldn’t.” He paused. “You would. Okay, shutting up now.” She grinned at his contrite tone, even he knew how much trouble he was in. The haunted look in Nevia’s eyes on Titan would never leave Siobhan, and she wouldn’t let her friend ever feel that way again. Not as long as she could help it. Siobhan made it over to his location after taking care of the Vex Gate Lord. The Hunter sailed over obstacles and dodged laser beams from Vex, her feet rarely hitting the ground as she ran. It was time to say screw a leisurely jog, she was in a full blown run. Time was getting short, and she knew that she had to get to Cayde. She darted over to the bunker where Failsafe was after she came on the comms about the Fallen in the area.

“I’m done with you assholes!” Siobhan snarled as she reached Failsafe’s bunker. The Fallen had been a thorn in her side since before she left Earth. She placed one foot on the rock, propelling her body upwards into the air. The rocket launcher fired one shot in the middle of the Fallen, scattering the survivors and clearing a path for her. The rocket launcher clipped onto her back as she raced through the water towards Failsafe’s bunker.

“Hey. You might want to hurry. I think they said something about ripping my beautiful horn off my beautiful face. My beautiful, beautiful horn.”

“I swear. I’m passing him off to Nevia first damn chance I get.” Siobhan told Arawn as they reached the bunker. Her lip curled as she saw the Fallen surrounding the bunker, hacking away at Failsafe’s barrier.

“I don’t blame you.” Arawn soothed her temper, he really didn’t blame Siobhan for being angry. It was time for some anger, though that usually translated into arc for her. The anger boiled inside her, he could feel it burning in her Light. The helpless rage at being Lightless, her Vanguard scattered, and her friends and family missing all came to a boiling point. She leapt into the air to tether the Fallen at the door, surprise flickering across her face as her bow didn’t form in her hands. Knives did. She landed and launched herself towards the Eliksni. Arawn spun his shell against her neck as they cloaked, it was as if the shadows themselves cloaked them. The Fallen fell in droves as her blades, she let the anger drive her forward as she finished off the last one attacking the bunker’s barrier. She used her shotgun for the stragglers that decided to come at her. The Captain with the scorch cannon took her on a merry chase that was filled with expletives in both English and Eliksni. She didn’t know a lot of Eliksni but what she did pick up would make a sailor blush.

“What was that?” Arawn asked as the big Captain fell. Siobhan turned to look at him with an arched eyebrow. “That dagger thing! I’ve never seen you do _that_! I didn’t even know that could happen!” Siobhan looked down at her hand and told him she’d felt her Light was off lately. Every time she used _Shadowshot_ she would feel the weight of daggers in her hands. Arawn told her they’d need to talk to Cayde about that, or Ikora. Siobhan agreed to talk to them once things were settled. The Captain’s scorch cannon lay at her feet and she heard the scrabbling of Dregs. She picked it up and finished the waves off. Relishing it as the last big Captain fell at her feet.

“Fuck those exploding shanks! Exploding little jackasses!” Siobhan kicked at one of the shank bodies and howled in rage as the pain radiated up her leg. The second time she’d kicked metal and expected to come out the victor. Arawn kept his silence as she hobbled over to the reactor core that wasn’t shielded now that the enemies were gone.

“You have saved us! Updating crew log! New captain registered!” Failsafe chirped as they boarded the area to her core. Captain? Oh jeez. Like she needed another title that meant more responsibility, but it was for Failsafe. Siobhan figured she could do it for Failsafe. She stormed into the bunker, intent on finding Cayde. Sundance hovered up, fluttering in glee to see them. Cayde brought her down and whispered about not pissing off the natives. Siobhan raised an eyebrow as she took off her helmet to speak clearly to him. He stood slowly and faced her.

“So, it is true.” He headed towards her and Siobhan felt some of the anger fade at seeing how distraught he was. Losing his Light had to be devastating for him, and she’d best remember it. It was just easy to get caught up in the battles and the constant fighting. “The Light found its way back to you. Not that I’m jealous or nothing. But take it easy out there will you? You’re making me look bad.” Cayde told her. Siobhan shook her head and crossed her arms, she felt the smile tug at her lips. Despite all the cursing and bluster, she could never be that mad at Cayde. He was her Vanguard and just like a brother to her. “So, ah, you mentioned Nevia? She’s all right, isn’t she?”

“She’s fine. Well, as fine as it can be. I found her on Titan helping out Zavala and now she’s back on Earth. At a place called the Farm. A bunch of refugees from the City are gathering there. As is Zavala.” Siobhan told him as she tossed him the teleporter. She decided to take pity on him, it was obvious he thought Nevia had died in the Tower. The pain that he must’ve gone through, Siobhan knew it keenly. It would have likely broken Cayde if he hadn’t had that inner strength. To lose Andal, one of his best friends, and then thought he lost Nevia. Siobhan patted his shoulder as he passed her.

“Now, why do you need a Vex teleporter Cayde?” Arawn asked as he floated closer to Cayde. He spun as Aos popped out to greet him.

“Good question, right? Was going to get up close and personal with Ghaul and put a bullet in his head.” Cayde happily told them as he opened it back up. Siobhan reached out a hand to stop him, she really didn’t want to go through all that trouble again. She really would kick his ass before Nevia could then.

“Cayde, you can’t do this alone!” Arawn yelled at him. Siobhan stepped forward as Cayde snapped back.

“Cayde. Stop. I know you like doing things your way, but this time. This time we need to come together if we want to have a chance at defeating Ghaul. Even if Ghaul is defeated, the Red Legion don’t leave anything behind in a star system.” Siobhan pleaded with Cayde to see reason. She knew Hunters were stubborn but it really felt like hitting her head against a brick wall, or metal wall in this case.

“Yeah, yeah. The Cabal are bad guys. I get it.” Siobhan stomped over to him and stood next to him. She grabbed his cloak and tugged until he faced her. Her hands slammed down onto her hips as her lips curled into a snarl.

“I don’t think you do Cayde. They’re going to destroy our sun!”

“Easy, easy! You’re going to pop a blood vessel or whatever it is you organics do when you’re pissed off.” Siobhan crossed her arms over her armor and gave him a withering glare. She felt like she was lecturing a child and let Arawn deal with him as she spun on her heel cool her head for a minute.

“We don’t know where Ikora is.” Siobhan admitted. Cayde told her where to find Ikora and rubbed the back of his head as they turned to go.

“Hey. Thanks. I owe you one.” Siobhan turned and shook her head.

“Consider us even. Just get to the Farm, will you?” Siobhan smiled as she watched him leave after fiddling with the Vex tech again.

“Back to the Farm for us too then?” Arawn asked. Siobhan nodded and they boarded their ship.

“Io’s pretty spacious. We’re going to need some form of ground transportation. Like a Sparrow.” Arawn murmured. Siobhan agreed. She wasn’t too keen on navigating on foot, again. That ended so well for her on Nessus afterall. A voice came over their radio.

“And I know just the mechanic to get you that. I’ll even call in a favor.” That gravelly voice had tears welling in Siobhan’s eyes. He was okay. He was at the Farm. She hastily brushed at the tears that fell.

“Jareth!!” That one word held a wealth of meaning. A decade worth of memories. Of loss and victory. Of pain and joy. She had her brother back.

“A little banged up but hanging in there. We’ll all grab a drink when you make it back to the Farm. I hear there’s one helluva story involved.” Arawn piped up that he had no idea before they disconnected and the ship headed to Earth. Siobhan wiped at her tears and let Arawn guide the ship.


	6. Chapter 6

Reunions abounded as Siobhan touched down at the Farm. Nevia and Cayde, which went about as well as Siobhan predicted. Jareth was back and Siobhan was happy to see her fireteam complete again. She ran to him and launched herself at Jareth. He grinned and took it, enveloping her in a huge bear hug. A thousand unspoken feelings passed between them as they hugged. He even pulled in Annalise, the Fireteam was complete now. Her family was back together again. She knew Holliday was happy to see him as well, Amanda had asked about him on Titan. It felt right to have those two with her again, even if they couldn’t fight with her.

“You look like hell.” Jareth told Siobhan as they walked towards the quarters. She punched him in the shoulder, neither one feeling it thanks to armor. Figures he’d say something snarky the first time they were back together, and it was almost exactly like the first words he ever told her. _You look like you came out the nasty end of a rocket launcher._ The refugee area had grown since her last visit. The influx of new refugees and Guardians had an effect on the area. The Guardians put their talents to use with building the small shacks and tents for everyone to use. There were even tents for showers! Siobhan almost cried at the sight. A shower, a decent shower. It felt like forever since that first freezing shower when she got to the Farm. Jareth glanced over at her and saw the scorch marks, tattered cloak, and dented armor.

“Well, I’ll admit I’ve had easier missions.” Siobhan told him as she took off her helmet. “Before that drink, do you think?” She tilted her head towards the living quarters and _showers_.

“That you could clean up? Of course. I’ll get some new armor for you.” Annalise told her as Jareth grinned and said he’d save them some spots. Siobhan felt the tears well in her eyes again. Her family was with her again, even if things weren’t quite the same anymore. She blinked them away as she watched them walk off. This whole ordeal was turning her into a watering pot. She headed to the showers, keeping an eye on which ones were occupied and which were not. The one on the end didn’t have an occupied sign, so she went in. Relief swept through her as she cracked open the door and saw nothing but an empty room. She was surprised by how it appeared. It looked like an ordinary shower room. The floor was mostly scrap wood, but it had been sanded smooth. The showers had tile, most likely pried off of ruins, on the floor with a drain in the middle to take the water to the draining vat she had seen before coming in. There were two stalls and Siobhan was thankful it was empty, she didn’t need an audience when she took her armor off. Her armor made soft thuds as she took it all off her body. She winced at the deep purple blooming over her skin from the bruises. One particular wound hadn’t been patched up quickly enough, and she knew the scar would be there. Arawn floated next to her and noticed it.

“From that Hydra?” Siobhan nodded and he nudged her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Scars are inevitable.” It was something she’d long accepted as a Guardian’s fate. Scars didn’t bother her anymore, they told a story of the battles she’d fought and won. The water turned on with a hiss as she reached in. The steam rose as she stepped inside the stall. _Oh thank the Gods, hot water._ She was going to enjoy this shower and not even question how they set up a way to heat the water. “Keep watch for me Arawn?”

“Of course, but do you really expect a threat here on the Farm?” Siobhan gave him that point. It was an age old habit for her to ask him to be a guard for her. She told him he could go find Jareth or Nixa if he wanted to reunite with their Ghosts. He and Lilith probably had a lot of catching up to do. “I don’t want to leave you.” The anxious feeling didn’t want to leave him just yet, even if they had their Light back. Arawn didn’t want to leave Siobhan alone.

“Arawn. I’m in the camp. I think I’ll be okay.” Siobhan shooed him away and he floated away and found Lilith. Siobhan let the water run over her sore muscles, easing the aches and throbs from battle. Her eyes watched the dirt and blood wash away from her skin and down the drain. Leaving her skin with its assortment of scars clean again. The door came up to her shoulders, which she was thankful for this time.

The door creaked open and Siobhan didn’t look up, expecting it to be Annalise with the extra armor for her. “Just drop my armor over there will you Anna?” Siobhan indicated the bench where her old armor was. The silence greeted her and a prickling sensation started between her shoulder blades. She turned towards the door and froze, her arms crossing over her front on reflex. She did not recognize the man in the room, as the door snapped shut behind him. The click jolted her from her shock. Butterflies danced in her belly as she opened her mouth to speak.

“Who are you?” Siobhan demanded as she pressed herself against the stall to hide what she could. She glared at the intruder, but she didn’t sense any hostility from him. Given his bulk, she’d put him as a Titan. Though he could be a civilian or Warlock for all she knew, but something in her gut said this man had been a Titan. Handsome as he was though, she just wanted to enjoy a shower in peace. She wished she had her knife on her, but she _had_ let down her guard. Two times now she’d been caught without her knife, but this time she had her Light. There was something about him that was familiar, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. That was the only thing that stayed her hand and temper from igniting. He was a tall and broad man, Siobhan actually felt petite next to him though she wasn’t _that_ short. She wasn’t! His face sported a beard, broken only by the vicious burn scar on the left side of his face. She noticed his eye had been affected and her heart twisted at the pain he must’ve endured. His black, wiry hair was cropped short next to his head. His good eye swung to face her and it was a rich chocolate color. The man was handsome, almost devastatingly so. Enough that she felt that tug at her belly, which just annoyed her all over again. Yet, it wasn’t his looks that made her consider him attractive. It was the aura of power that seemed to wrap around him like a mantle. The aura was familiar, and the name was on the tip of her tongue. Present yet not, annoying as hell. She cursed her traitorous body as her blood heated at seeing the roped muscles of his arms bunch as he crossed his arm. An ache began between her legs as she tried to keep her eyes on his face, a herculean task given the man’s body. He wore loose fitting pants and that was all. It took every bit of self-discipline she had not to ogle the man, and she self-admittedly had little. She bit her bottom lip to keep her wits about her. Now was not the time to be distracted.

“Guardian?” Her jaw dropped in shock as she recognized that voice. Siobhan gave him one good once over before she met his eyes, surprise flitting through her eye.

“ _Lord Shaxx_?” She heard her voice crack in surprise as she studied him. He wasn’t how she pictured him. Reality exceeded fantasy. _Oh_ , did reality exceed her fantasies. Siobhan felt mortification intertwine with the desire in her body. Heat crept up her face and tightened in her belly. The one man she’d been pining for, for years, was standing there half naked. And could not be less interested if he tried. His eyes never left her face, his face didn’t betray a single twitch. She’d be insulted if she hadn’t already figured out he only saw her as just another Guardian. That hit her pride, she thought she had a decent figure despite the scars, and the mortification at being caught defenseless, _twice_ , was just too much. Siobhan reminded herself that any hurt was because of her own self-delusions, not anything on Shaxx’s side. She’d kept her feelings hidden on purpose, so no use feeling hurt or angry now. Instead she focused on his face, ignoring her body’s response to his nearness.

“My apologies.” He stepped back to leave when his foot caught on her cloak. She cried out in alarm as he fell with her hand reaching towards him, the sharp crack of his head hitting the door knob reverberated throughout the small room. He heard the shower stall open as stars danced in his vision. A vicious curse left his lips as the pain beat in a steady throb at the back of his head. Careless. Stupid and careless. He saw the blue blur of her approaching, reaching out for his head. He jerked away and rapped his head smartly against the door, stars bursting in his vision again. This time his curse was for himself as he saw the hesitation in her hands as she reached for his head. Her lips thinned out as she reached for his head.

“Stop fighting and let me see how bad it is! You may have a hard head, but that was quite a fall Lord Shaxx. Where’s Kara?” Siobhan murmured as she felt around for the bump, ensuring she was being gentle. Fingers moving in whisper soft flutters as she searched for the injury. She had to know if he was bleeding. She paid little heed to her nudity, he’d seen her nude before and had no reaction. It was _her_ reaction that was distracting. His nearness and undress were affecting her, but worry for him overshadowed it all. She kept her hands gentle as they probed for the bump, feeling it and rejoicing silently when her fingers came away dry. It didn’t appear serious and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Shaxx found it difficult to concentrate with his head throbbing constantly. He heard her question but couldn’t tell her he’d left his Ghost in his quarters to stand watch. Her fingers were soothing and gentle as they slid through his hair. He leaned into her touch, it had been a damned long time since he’d let someone touch him like this. The stars faded in his vision and his eyes focused on what was in front of him. His body went taut as a wire as he saw the pair of breasts swaying in front of him as she moved around to examine his head. Any thought he had evaporated as she leaned forward after finding the lump, putting herself within reach. Heat coiled in his belly, tight and white-hot. He couldn’t remember the last time his body had this reaction to anyone, not this instant knee-jerk heat that blew through his system. She was close enough to touch, and his fingers itched with the urge to give in. Temptation was too much, the urge to shape and mold her soft flesh in his hands, hearing her crying out his name. He curled his fingers into fists to keep them to himself. He wanted to touch, to feel her skin beneath his hands and see if her heart was racing as fast as his was. His mouth went dry with the thought of tasting her. His eyes followed a drop of water as it slithered down the slope of her breast, dangling from the hardened tip of her nipple. Need clenched as the image of taking the point in his mouth flashed through his mind. He shifted as his body stirred from his heated thoughts. Her fingers brushed the lump on the back of his head, bringing him back to himself. The pain gave him a focus. He hadn’t felt these feelings in too many years to count. To think his traitorous body would do this to him with this Guardian, the only one who could help them defeat Ghaul. It was appalling. She couldn’t afford to be distracted.

“It’s not broken, and your skin is intact. I think you’ll be okay when you get back to your Ghost.” Siobhan told him as she released his head and leaned back on her haunches. Relief he wasn’t injured swept through her, and her heart thundered in her chest from being so close to him. Her fingers wanted to run through his hair again, the scrape of it against her palms had her thinking about what his beard would feel like against her skin. Her eyes watched as a drop of water slid down his chest and her belly clenched with the need to lick and taste his skin. She reminded herself that she was the only one who had these feelings and that Lord Shaxx was probably mortified or angry he was stuck like this. Siobhan leaned more towards angry. She leaned back and began to rise when he shifted to get up as well. His hand swept against her foot, tipping her off-balance. She was not the most graceful Hunter in the Tower, and she fell forward. She gave a squeak and threw out her hands to catch herself. At least she’d had worse falls than this. She landed against something warm and solid. Her eyes widened with the realization that she hadn’t landed on the floor.

Shaxx regretted his action of catching her. He just didn’t want to see her hit the floor, but now that lovely body was pressed up against his. His body stirred under hers as those curves pressed into him. All his training, every ounce of restraint he possessed was in full use as he willed himself to remain still. Siobhan was warm and her body fit against his like it had been made for him. He wanted to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer. His jaw clenched as he forced himself to focus. Her soft breasts pushed against his chest before she shifted. That hair, the color of moonlight, slipped over her ear and clung to her cheek. Her hands pressed against his chest and she pushed herself into a sitting position. He allowed himself a few seconds to indulge in the fantasy of what could be before he shifted to move her. She was moving before he could and scrambled away in a panic.

Siobhan knew that the feeling of Shaxx under her would be seared into her mind for eternity now. She wanted to bury her face in her hands and will the ground to swallow her up. She’d straddled him on a bathroom floor, naked, and he’d remained unresponsive beneath her. He likely would have snapped her head off if she hadn’t moved so quickly. And she couldn’t blame him if he did, it was her fault they had been in this predicament. If she wasn’t so turned on, she’d already have perished of humiliation. The silence stretched out between them, Siobhan refused to meet his eyes, before the knock at the door cut the tension.

“Siobhan?” Anna’s voice filtered through the door and Siobhan’s head snapped up. Panic rushed through her at the thought of Anna finding them and she had to come up with an excuse. Anna’s silhouette through the door shifted, likely reaching for the small latch.

“I’m here. The door got stuck.” She cleared her throat once or twice to clear the husky note out of it. Panic coated her throat, she didn’t want Annalise to find them. It was a shock to realize it wasn’t for her own embarrassment, but his. Siobhan didn’t want Shaxx to have to explain why he was in the bathing tent with her or deal with any rumors that came up because of it. He had enough to deal with.

“Oh no! We warned them that these old things would do that. Will you be all right?”

“Yeah. Just leave the armor out there, please.” Siobhan told her. She was thankful Anna bought it, but the Hunter wasn’t quite sure that Anna was doing it because she bought her excuse. That ‘oh no’ sounded far too cheery, it was suspicious.

“All right. We’ll see you over at the little tavern when you’re done?” Siobhan answered she would be there when she was finished and heard Anna’s footsteps fading as she left. Her blue eyes met Shaxx’s and she felt a new wave of embarrassment roll over her. The heat slowly crept up her face, deepening the blue of her face to a deep cerulean. The aura patterns that danced on her skin concentrated in her cheeks, adding a glow to her embarrassment.

“You need to get dressed, your companions are waiting for you.” Shaxx rumbled and Siobhan felt her heart drop to her knees. He was eager to leave, it cut deeper than she’d dare admit. She’d known he didn’t see her like that, but now it was hammered home. His body had gone rigid as if repulsed by her nearness when she’d been lying there. It still stung to be so solidly rejected like she was. She’d once told Arawn it would hurt more to be rejected than to just keep her feelings to herself. It was excruciating to realize she was right. She swallowed the bitter pill that was rejection and cleared her throat.

“I am sorry. If that makes a difference,” Siobhan murmured as she turned towards the shower and shut off the water. He stood and wrenched open the door after making sure she was out of sight. He saw the armor by the doorway and set it inside before he disappeared into his quarters, which were only two tents down. He puzzled over her apology, surely she didn’t think it was her fault the whole debacle had taken place. It was coincidence. He was distracted from his thoughts as Kara approached him.

Siobhan hurriedly dressed in the new armor, pleased that it fit perfectly. She threw a glance at Shaxx’s tent and thought better of apologizing again. Her thoughts swirled chaotically in her mind as she tried to grasp what had just happened. The sharp sting of his unresponsiveness in the bathing tent still throbbed in her chest. She refused to let it ruin the evening with her Fireteam. She made her way to the small tavern, waving to any Guardian or civilian that hailed her. She saw the others preparing for war and instead of nerves fluttering, she felt her determination heighten. She would find a way to end the Almighty and then kick Ghaul’s teeth in for everything. The list was far too long now. Her fireteam and Echo were at the tavern waiting for her when she came in. The grin practically split her face as she bounced over to them.

“Nevia and Cayde getting in some much needed reunion time?” Echo nodded as Siobhan settled into a chair next to him. Jareth passed her a beer and stared her down. She fought the urge to fidget under his stare, he knew something. She had the dawning realization that Jareth knew about the incident with the tree. He confirmed her suspicions with his next words.

“Now spill everything.” Jareth told her. “I heard that there was an incident involving a tree?” Siobhan choked on her beer and threw Arawn a glare. Her Ghost had the forethought to look ashamed at giving that away, shrinking down behind Anna’s shoulder guiltily. The one story she hoped wouldn’t get repeated, her internal grumbling was mostly at herself. The entire thing played out in her head again, right up until Shaxx caught her. She sighed deeply and told the story of being startled awake and grasping at the branch like an amateur. Anna laughed at hearing that it had been Lord Shaxx that had seen her. Echo joined her as he tried to imagine Siobhan clinging to the branch. It was an amusing image, even Siobhan agreed. Now that it was in the past, she could chuckle at her dilemma.

“No doubt he’ll use that against you in the Crucible. _What did I expect from a Guardian that can’t even climb a tree properly_?” Echo did a damn good impression of Shaxx and Siobhan stifled the giggle at how eerie those thoughts were to her own. She told the Exo that was almost exactly what she thought and everyone broke into peals of laughter as they pictured Shaxx berating Siobhan in the Crucible. The tension melted away as the friends caught up with one another and shared stories of their adventures. Jareth had been with a group of civilians that had to take shelter on the fringes of the EDZ thanks to one of them getting a nasty infection in their arm. It had been touch and go for a while, which was why he was delayed. Anna spoke about escaping the City with the children in the orphanage. They were all there at the Farm and she took care of them while also helping as a healer. Echo had come in with a group of Guardians only a few days after Siobhan made it to the Farm. It was peaceful as Siobhan enjoyed te time with her friends. Nevia and Cayde joined them after a couple of hours. Siobhan pointedly ignored Cayde as she hadn’t quite gotten to his rescue story yet and she was still miffed about the trouble. Gate Lord, exploding Shanks, and a fucking scorch cannon. She was annoyed still. She’d lost a good cloak to that damned Hydra. Siobhan glanced down at her hands, the feeling of the blades lingered when she thought back to her Void pulling at her like that. She wished Yvette was there, the older Hunter was also a Nightstalker. She may have had some answers for her.

“I’m sorry Siobhan.” Cayde told her in a singsong voice. She turned sideways in her chair and gave him a single finger salute while sipping her beer. Her legs crossed as she kept an annoyed expression on her face. “Ouch. You hurt my feelings.”

“A Hydra, Vex Gate Lord, and a _really_ big Fallen Captain. The kind with the rocket launchers Cayde. _Rocket launchers_.” Siobhan tapped her finger on the table to emphasize her point. Jareth grinned as he suspected there was a really good story there. Anna chuckled as she knew there was a good story behind it, she’d been there when Zavala had gotten the comms. He’d been able to patch into Siobhan’s comms while on Nessus and had quickly shut it off with the language she was using.

“Sounds like you were an idiot and caused Sio some trouble.” Nevia told him. Siobhan snorted and sipped her beer. She may have mumbled about him being a pain in the ass, but a lovable pain in the ass. He was her Vanguard and good friend. Despite the trouble, she was really happy to have him back.

“To Io next then?” Jareth asked Siobhan who nodded. It wasn’t something she looked forward to, but Ikora was there. Cayde said it was the place Ikora would have gone to seek answers.

“I leave out first thing in the morning. The ship needed some upgrades so I’m grounded for the night.” She grinned as the others let out victory cheers. She held up her beer alongside theirs, she was just as happy to spend time with them.

“Good. We’ll be glad to have you for the evening. I never imagined I’d be the one sitting back and waiting for the Guardian to come home.” Anna said. “I don’t like not being at your side Siobhan.”

“None of us do. But I have a good feeling that Sio will kick Ghaul’s ass and get us our Light back.” Nevia grinned as she threw her arm around Cayde’s neck.

“Damn straight!” Jareth cheered and raised his glass. They all did a big toast and got fall down drunk before the end of the night. Even Anna was giggling into her glass after all the alcohol. And it took a lot to get them anywhere near drunk, their Ghosts let them. The hangover would be their consequence for it. The tavern keep was amazed at how much these Guardians put away. He shook his head as they all stumbled away, after paying, to their own quarters. The Guardians didn’t leave a tab, he was impressed with that. It had been a whim to open up the bar. He kept the food available to the refugees, but most of the Guardians all insisted on paying for their share. He shook his head as the group stumbled towards their tents, ready to sleep the alcohol off.

“You’re supposed to fight tomorrow.” Arawn lectured as he led his Hunter back to her tent. Hawthorne had been generous and given Siobhan her own tent to use while she was back from moon hopping. They’d both, she and Arawn, had insisted it wasn’t necessary and she could bunk with her team. Hawthorne insisted and so Siobhan had her own tent and bed to crawl into. As drunk as she was, she could sleep on a slab of concrete and pass out until morning. Siobhan grinned at Arawn who bobbed in front of her in annoyance.

“Won’t be the first time I’ve fought with a hangover.” Siobhan reminded Arawn as he bobbed next to her as she tried to find her way back to her room. She hummed to herself, that old song again. _Do you still remember that time? When me eyes first met yours and yours mine?_ Arawn shook his head at the song, surprisingly clear despite her inebriated state. “Now, which one was mine?” She scratched her head and heard a door open next to her, she didn’t bother turning around. The onlooker would either speak up or go about their own way, she wasn’t going to waste what little brain cells she had at the moment thinking about it. Siobhan didn’t think she was being too loud, Arawn would’ve tried to shush her already if she was. He was good about doing that. Good old Arawn. Her mind drifted back to earlier in the day as she shuffled to her tent. Her thoughts were back towards that shower earlier and she had been told by her Ghost that she’d forgotten to put out the occupied sign. Which made her feel even more like a bleeding idiot. It still didn’t stop the heat simmering along her body. It had felt incredible to be pressed against him, too bad he didn’t return her feelings. Siobhan blew out a breath and glanced up at Arawn. Her head swam and she knew she was far gone. She was slurring but Arawn understood her perfectly after being with her for so long. It made communicating easier with him, with other people not so much.

“Guardian?”

“Lord Shaxx.” Siobhan spun and held out a hand to the door as the room didn’t stop when she did. Damned alcohol, but she’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. “S’rry bout bef’re.” He lifted an eyebrow and she prattled on about her idiocy. He understood she believed it was her fault for the whole debacle earlier. She wobbled on her feet and his eyes narrowed, was she injured? The punch of alcohol hit him and he sighed. Not injured, drunk. Shaxx understood the reasons for drinking, he’d had his own wild days, he couldn’t understand why in this time would she get so drunk. He kept his opinion to himself, she didn’t need a lecture now. Likely wouldn’t even remember it anyhow, not in the state she was in. His hand reached out to steady her but she tried to shake it off, and he stubbornly refused to let go of her elbow. She didn’t even realize he was guiding her towards her room. “For being s’stupid. Should’ve been more careful. Shorry.” Siobhan told him. She sounded so pitiful it was hard to stay angry at her. She sounded so contrite about the whole situation, it amused him to see it. He had never believed the slayer of Oryx could look, for lack of a better word, cute. “Ar’wn tol’ me that I didn put out the ‘pied sign. Is my fault.” He snorted as he steered her towards her door.

He couldn’t get a word in, she prattled on as he led her to her tent. She’d been close, only two tents off. Though he was certain that Zavala wouldn’t have appreciated a drunk Hunter coming into his tent. She looked so miserable waiting for his forgiveness, he wouldn’t let her wait long. He would, however, ensure she was sober when he explained that he didn’t think it was her fault. It was simply a combination of random occurrences that had led to their situation earlier.

“Here are your quarters. There is no need to apologize.” Shaxx told her as he showed her the door. Siobhan glanced up at him, letting her eyes roam over his face. He’d left his helmet off again, and wore a light shirt along with the same pants from earlier.

“Yer so nice.” Siobhan attempted to reign in her slurring, and concentrated on her words. “Always helping me. Even though you don’t like me. It’s what I like about you!” She smiled at him and he felt his heart stutter. A genuine, unguarded smile. Her features softened and her eyes fairly glowed, even for an awoken, as she grinned at him. The aura patterns on he skin danced along her skin, energetic waves like the ocean he’d once seen by the coast. He saw the emotion clearly in those eyes and it wrapped tight around his heart. Her face was utterly and completely unguarded for once and she looked beautiful, drunk but beautiful. Her words sunk in and he scrambled for words. Didn’t like her? Is that what she thought? Shaxx tried to think of why she would think that, and had he done something to cause her to think that?

“Well, I can’t allow you to come to harm. You are the only Guardian that has Light.” Shaxx informed her and saw her face fall. All that light and happiness evaporated and resignation was in its place. His heart dropped as he saw the wall come back up in her eyes. The moment they’d shared was gone, and he desperately wanted it back. He realized he’d said the exact wrong thing when she next spoke.

“Right. Y’know I’d still beat Gary e’en, even, if y’weren’t nice to me. You can stop pretending.” She turned away and reached for her door. He was going to wait until she was safely in her room before he left. His eyebrow arched as she paused with her hand on the doorknob. He heard her mutter something about to hell with it. Siobhan rapidly turned on her heel and he found his arms full of warm Guardian. Her arms slid around his neck as her legs hooked over his hips, anchoring her in place. Her lips slanted across his as her hands grasped his shoulders. Shock stuttered through his system. His brain struggled to catch up as heat burst in his belly. He barely registered the feel of her, warm and eager, or the taste of her, the bite of alcohol and something dark that was all her. His hands lifted to fist in her cloak when she pulled back. She slid back down onto her feet and released him. He felt the loss keenly as his body screamed at him to drag her back.

“I’m sorry!” Horror dawned on her features as she realized what she had done. “I’m so sorry! I’m too drunk right now, but I’ll fully apologize in the morning!” Her speech still wavered but panic coated her tongue instead of alcohol. She unlatched the door and slipped inside after a flurry of more ‘I’m sorry’s tripped off her tongue. The door shut with a quiet snap and it jerked him out of his thoughts. His hand reached for the latch, but he checked the impulse. She was inebriated. There would be plenty of time to discuss her actions the next day, she mentioned wanting to apologize after all. He’d simply have to explain there was nothing to apologize for. Shaxx went back to his quarters, his blood simmering hot in his body. He could still feel her plastered against him from the shower and knew that memory was forever branded in his mind. Now the way her lips felt and the taste of her would be just at the edge of his mind, like a splinter that wouldn’t come out. He wanted it to be unpleasant but every time he closed his eyes he knew he’d see her face. That smiling face.

He had to get a hold on his wayward thoughts. There was far too much going on to worry about these kinds of baser feelings. He barely knew the person behind the name after all. There were people counting on both of them. Siobhan didn’t need the distraction from her mission. If they defeated Ghaul, then he’d analyze his feelings. The memory of their conversations on the trek to the Farm popped back into his mind. It had been insightful and she wasn’t as vapid as he’d originally assumed. There was a depth to her that was surprisingly. She enjoyed reading about gardening and had a small little garden on a rooftop ledge that she kept for herself. A taste of the Wilds back at the Tower for when she was stuck there for a length of time. She enjoyed reading, though in shorter bursts than he did. She had told him it was hard for her to sit still because the Void would whisper to her. The constant moving helped keep the whispers at bay. To his great surprise, she’d quoted Helen Keller. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. She’d used it in response to his asking how she could be so positive about the group making it out of the City and Wilds alive. He’d never been so happy to be proven wrong. Yet it was one quote that had really stuck with him. Siobhan told him about the young woman who had said it, she enjoyed studying pre-Golden Age history. It had been the last break before reaching Hawthorne, when he’d commented on her determination. How quickly she’d chosen to abandon her duty to the Speaker. _The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity._ She had grinned and told him she’d been likened to a bulldog with a bone sometimes, and she wasn’t going to let civilians go without help just because of what someone told her to do. She followed her heart. Shaxx shook himself out of his memories, scrubbing a hand over his face. Kara told him to go to bed, it would be morning soon. His sleep was haunted by a pair of blue eyes, the exact color of the noon sky above the Tower, and a soft body that fit to his as if made for him. It was the smile that broke him. He wanted her to smile at him like that again.


	7. Chapter 7

Dawn broke over the horizon, Siobhan groaned as Arawn chirped happily next to her head. Time to get to Io! She swatted at him and mumbled something about five more minutes. It felt like an army of Sunbreakers were pounding inside her skull. Her tongue was heavy and felt like dry cotton. A quick thanks to the heavens for the absence of nausea was all she could manage before she rolled out of bed. Her body hit the floor with a solid thud, but it didn’t help her hangover. She merely had a sore forehead and a throbbing head. She enjoyed the buzz, even knowing Arawn would let her suffer the next day. She managed to pull on her armor, almost like in a trance. Her body trudged towards the ship, she was thankful it was too early for any of the techs to be banging around in the hangar. Siobhan groaned as she slid into the pilot’s seat of her ship. Arawn floated up beside her and bounced jauntily. He was taking far too much pleasure in this misery. She glared at him as he bumped her head as she leaned back in her pilot chair. “Are you going to apologize to Lord Shaxx?” She gave him a quizzical look. “For that kiss last night?” Her face lost its color as she stared at Arawn slack-jawed. Panic crept up in her chest as flashes of memory appeared in her mind. Did she? Oh no. Siobhan lowered her head into her hands as she groaned again, this time it had nothing to do with her hangover. “You didn’t remember?”

“Not until you said something.” Now she could think of nothing _but_ that kiss. It had been so stupid, all she could think was that she couldn’t let it go without showing him what he was missing. When he’d said she was the Guardian who could save them all, it showed her just what he thought of her. She’d never be more than ‘The Guardian’ and it had cut at her. It didn’t excuse her actions, but the alcohol dropped her normal inhibitions. She had to apologize. “I’m an idiot.” She mumbled into her hands. Siobhan groaned as she let her head hit the back of her chair. She tried to think about what she was going to say the next time she saw Lord Shaxx.

“It’s not that bad Siobhan.” Arawn told her as he tried to cheer her up. Siobhan clenched her jaw and sent him a speaking glare.

“I kissed Lord Shaxx. It’s bad.” Siobhan rubbed her hands over her face. She tried to wrap her min around how to explain it to Arawn.

“But I thought you loved him?”

“I do but see, he doesn’t feel the same way about me.” Siobhan sighed and rested her chin on the steering column. Arawn turned in confusion as he waited for Siobhan to explain. “He didn’t react at all when we got trapped together in the shower stall. Not a thing. He’s already told me what he thinks of me. I’m the Guardian that will save us all. And that’s all I’ll ever be.” It cut at her. And it made her miss Emyr all the more. He never thought of her as a hero, not like the savior of the Tower. He’d seen her as Siobhan, and had treated her normal. The truth was a bitter pill to swallow. Arawn quivered as he didn’t understand what she meant. “He doesn’t feel the same way as I do Arawn. He sees me as just another Guardian. Well, _the_ Guardian. That’s it.” She straightened and got the ship ready for takeoff. The soft hum of the engine was relaxing, helped ease the ringing in her head. Siobhan steered the ship into the atmosphere, the sun still behind the horizon. She wanted an early start to Io, which would grant her a reprieve from speaking with Shaxx. Yet, it didn’t sit right with her. She needed to let him know she was sorry for what happened, and that there was no excuse for what she did. She mentioned it to Arawn.

“Then maybe sending him an email would suffice?” Siobhan nodded at Arawn’s solution. She had plenty of time to craft one that would hopefully be good enough for what she did last night. Misery and regret lodged a lump in her throat as she brought up her messaging console to type one up. A simple I’m sorry didn’t seem to cover the mistake she made, though she was very grateful that he was so tolerant of it. He could have reacted far worse than just stillness and rejection. The words eluded her as the steady throb of her hangover beat in her head.

************************************

Shaxx knocked on the door to her tent the next morning. He had gotten little sleep the night before, her presence teased him in dreams. Irritation rode his shoulders because of the lack of sleep. He needed to clear up the misunderstanding, and he had to tell her that the mission for Ghaul and the Almighty came first. When the dust settled, then they could address what was between them. It was very logical and sound, but it left an empty sensation in his chest. The loss of the Light showed him that moments should be treasured, no matter how brief that they were. Was he taking the right path by putting off any feelings until after Ghaul? There was no longer any assurance that any of them would make it out alive. He was conflicted now as his fist knocked again at her door. He decided to go with his gut, whatever he felt when she answered the door would be how he’d go with this. He arched an eyebrow and knocked for the third time. He knew she was hungover, but surely there would be some sort of sound from her? He called out for her. Silence greeted him and his eyes narrowed as he opened the door. The tent was empty. She was gone.

He glanced around as the situation sank in. Siobhan had already left for Io, after he told her they’d talk in the morning. She took the cowardly way out? He’d thought better of her. A low rumble of anger began in his chest when Kara chirped that he had an email. “It’s from Siobhan!” The singsong voice annoyed him, Kara had taken to teasing him about this whole thing with Siobhan. She was constantly giving him updates he’d never asked for. Despite being grateful for every single one. He grumbled and brought up the message. Kara was getting too full of herself lately, taking pleasure that he was finally showing some sort of emotion towards anyone.

_VoidStalker: So, this is going to be pretty awkward no matter what I say. Which means I’m just going to get it all out. I’m really sorry. I should’ve put the occupied sign out yesterday, but it slipped my mind. So that’s all on me. And if I’d kept my cloak put up and if I’d paid more attention to what I was doing. Well, we can just lay that whole debacle at my feet. I just wanted you to know I’m sorry about that. So sorry. And after this email, I won’t ever bring it up again. Nor will I let it affect our working together. I hope you’ll do the same._

_And as for the kiss? I can’t apologize enough for that. You’ve shown me repeatedly, that you don’t view me as anything more than a fellow Guardian. And I did a stupid thing. I don’t want to lose what fragile friendship is between us. I won’t ask for your forgiveness, but I hope in time it will come. There’s no excuse for my actions at all. I have no excuse for them. Other than to say I hope you can find it in you to forgive me for that. I can promise that I will not ever bring it up again. I’ll abide by whatever decision you decide on. Things will be strictly professional between us, of that you have my word._

_I’ll hopefully see everyone on the other side when the Almighty and Ghaul are defeated._ Signing off, _Siobhan._

Shaxx sat down on the edge of her bed in shock as he read the words. She apologized like she promised but something didn’t sit right with him. She practically fell over herself apologizing for what happened, taking the brunt of the blame for that incident in the bathing tent. It wasn’t right. He was half at fault for it as well, he was the one who didn’t immediately turn around when he saw the shower was occupied. He’d walked in and seen her standing there and had been frozen in shock. His eyes took in the sight of her, even though he couldn’t see much due to the stall.

What did she mean that he showed her he viewed her as just a fellow Guardian? Then his actions came back in crystal clarity. He kept her at arm’s length, even after the compromising position they’d been in. His reluctance could be taken as disgust. He knew that if he touched her, they wouldn’t be leaving the bathing tent. Then what he’d said to her, those words he wished he could take back. Even as he’d said them, he’d known he was lying. He didn’t see her as just another Guardian, and that was the problem. He groaned and shook his head. No wonder she thought that. He rubbed a hand over his face and typed up a response. The message dinged back: _Recipient out of service area._ He groaned and realized she wouldn’t get his message until she was back in the atmosphere. Shaxx rubbed a hand over his face, he heard the sounds of the Farm waking up outside. There was little time to let it affect him, there were duties to attend to on the Farm. He would have to deal with his thoughts after the day was complete. He stood and shook his head. There would be time for that later. He wasn’t as successful as he would have wanted in banishing her from his thoughts.

******************************************************************************

“No wonder Guardians consider this planet scared. This has the Traveler’s unfinished work, a place it touched directly. Where the Light resides.” Arawn looked over at Siobhan as they approached Io. “We need to make the Vanguard whole again and bring down the Almighty.” They shared a telling glance. The Vanguard was so close to being complete, Siobhan couldn’t put it into words why she thought it was so important.

“Yeah, hopefully we find out how to do the second thing here.” Siobhan told him as the ship broke the surface. Her eyes widened as she took in the beautiful cityscape. An abandoned city, lost when the Traveler was lost. There was so much potential here. It was the place where humanity was the closest to the Traveler. The holiness of the site floated along the air like dust particles. There but not always visible to the eye. It sunk into her bones as they found Ikora. They approached Ikora from behind as she stood watch over some ruins in a valley below them. Siobhan stood next to Ikora, her eyes wandering over the same landscape. Siobhan saw the hallowed ground as a fount of information, but she wondered how Ikora saw it. How did losing her Light affect Ikora?

“I came here for answers and still, I stand here with nothing.” The pain in Ikora’s voice tore at Siobhan. Ikora always had the answers, to be floundering in the dark must be excoriating for her. She hated that she was in such pain. Arawn spoke about the resistance.

“What good is a Resistance when you are the only one who survived?” The words slapped at Siobhan. The faces of her Fireteam, Shaxx, Zavala, Nevia, and Cayde zipped through her mind. She was hardly the only one to survive, merely the only one to have their Light back. And the others weren’t letting that stop them from fighting back. The Hunter reminded herself that Ikora was in pain, she was lashing out. Siobhan remembered a time when she had lashed out in pain. She took a calming breath, she could not take it personally. “I believe this Ghaul’s creatures knows the Traveler blessed this site.” The anger slowly built in Ikora’s voice. Siobhan was finding it hard to understand Ikora’s defensiveness of a place but not the people she left behind. She reminded herself that surely Ikora had a reason for it. “I believe he sent his Legion to find something they could never possibly understand.”

“And I believe they will continue to desecrate everything we hold sacred.” Ikora turned and met Siobhan’s eyes with a plea in hers. “Save this place Guardian. Do not squander this second chance.”

“Squander this second chance? Ikora, we’ve done _nothing_ but fight and save people even before we got our Light back.” Arawn argued but Siobhan knew her words wouldn’t have any effect on the Vanguard. Ikora had a reason for saving Io, and if saving it from the Cabal would bring Ikora back then she’d leave their corpses under her boot. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to playing errand boy. Nessus was one giant headache, Io couldn’t possibly be worse. Siobhan looked at the last site the Traveler touched and then turned to leave. She appreciated the sacredness of the site, but she couldn’t ignore the people counting on her finding a way to defeat Ghaul. There had to be a way to disable the Almighty. She’d find it, she was far too stubborn not to.

“Are you ready?” Arawn spoke as they slid down the small incline and onto flat ground. Siobhan summoned up the Sparrow that was given to her by Holliday after Jareth persuaded her to build it. Siobhan was happy to finally have a way around besides walking. She wasn’t opposed to physical exercise but covering the wide spaces of Nessus had been hell on her calves. The Sparrow was sleek, quick, and handled curves like a dream. Ikora and Arawn spoke as they traveled towards the Cabal base. Ikora spoke of not wanting to lose her life, not squandering the one life she had left. Melancholy seeped into her tone like molasses in the summer. Siobhan understood somewhat. The tree came to mind but she banished it with a quick grin. The thought that her life was her last had been utterly terrifying, but she’d been spurned on by the thought of how helpless she’d felt. Siobhan did not like feeling vulnerable, that had sent her in search of the Shard. It was the fuel for her fire.

“You may anyway. The Red Legion have a weapon pointed at our sun and they are set to destroy it.” Siobhan told her. Best to get it over with early on, rip off the band aid so to speak. The gasp was quiet, but it shook with the full rage and sorrow that boiled in her heart. Privately, she wondered if it was enough to chip through the wall that Ikora had surrounded herself with.

“But why!!? Why would he destroy what he’s worked so hard to conquer? Get into that base. There must be answers there.” The Hunter prayed there were answers in the base. A prickly sensation at the base of her neck raised the hair on her arms. There was something in the air, but she dismissed it. She had to be wrong, they’d been quiet for so long. Suspicion was pushed to the side and beaten away by the hammer of denial. Siobhan and Arawn drove into the base, thankful for the vehicle upgrade. They found the Cabal packing up crates, unusual enough to perk up Siobhan’s interest. The Cabal weren’t known for stowing away resources. Arawn did a quick scan of the boxes and reported to her about what they were. Nothing of consequence, which put her on alert. If something had the Cabal jumping ship then she didn’t really want to face it by herself. The two jumped off the Sparrow and she threw the grenade before bringing out her pulse rifle. Best to take out the stragglers first. She dove behind the crates stacked haphazardly. Arawn alerted her to a Centurion charging. Quick thinking had her kick the crates over, into the Centurion’s path. It leapt to avoid tripping and was met with her bow. The violet light of her arrow illuminated her helm, revealing her glowing azure eyes for a brief second before she fired. He fell to the ground as the rest of the troops piled alongside the room in groups from her grenade and tether. Death personified. Siobhan’s lips twisted at the turn of her thoughts. She brought death and destruction in her wake, her fingers curled into her palms. She forced herself to think of the civilians and ventured further into the base.

The hair on the back of her neck rose in alarm. That hum in the air. _It couldn’t be._ They’d been silent for years. Stragglers maybe, but with no King they’d fallen to chaos. She prayed her instincts were wrong. Her gut clenched as sweat beaded on her forehead from the thought of facing them. The memory of that song, those claws, and the voices. She could handle the Void whispers, they called for solitude and the Wilds. The others called for her Light, for her sanity, for _sacrifice_. A shudder went down her back as they approached an open area with glowing veins in the ground. The steady thrum reminded Siobhan of a heartbeat, and the Light swirling along the ground was like the aura patterns on her skin.

“That’s the Traveler’s raw energy.” Arawn told her. “And let’s not touch it.” Siobhan was in agreement there as they headed further into the base. Pure Light could be dangerous. Much like the Vex fluid. Anna could probably pronounce it, but Siobhan didn’t even want to attempt it. A haze came over her vision, chilling her to the bone. Fear had her senses on alert, fingers curled around the rifle in her grip. A soft breeze fluttered her cloak as she surveyed the area. A sense of déjà vu came over her.

“Ikora…” Siobhan murmured over the line and the Vanguard heard the fear in her voice. She couldn’t explain it to the Vanguard, how did you explain bone-numbing fear. The mere thought of facing these creatures sent her into a panic.

“Guardian?”

“There’s no one here. I think…” They approached a mine shaft with a large drill. It was abandoned. Instantly, Siobhan went to cover. Arawn stayed in her hood as he reported to Ikora. He dared take a small peak above her head to survey the area. There were no signs of Cabal anywhere. That haze was still there. As dread settled like a stone in her stomach, Siobhan realized where they had all gone.

“It’s a drill!” Arawn spoke in awe as he looked around the area.

“Are they mining the Traveler’s light?” Ikora spoke as Siobhan stopped in the doorway. She knew that sensation that floated along the air. That itch at the back of her mind. The tension that pressed on her chest, suffocating her with its grip. She’d experienced this feeling, like a cold hand across her back, once before. On a Cabal controlled ship before _he_ invaded and now it was here. She felt the tug at her mind, her body stiffened at it. The voices that wanted her, wanted her sanity, wanted her body, wanted her Light. They overpowered the Void, pushing it until she could barely feel it. The word formed on her lips as the voices, a cacophony of razor sharp whispers ricocheted in her mind. _We’re here._

“Taken.” Siobhan murmured as Arawn turned to look at her. Siobhan stared into the tunnel and saw the rifts. Sweat fell down her face in rivulets as her heart kicked into a gallop. They were here. The Taken. A thousand questions raced through her mind as her body rooted to the spot. She didn’t want to face them, couldn’t face them. Not alone. Arawn nudged her cheek. She had to. There was no getting around it now, no one was around to help her. No one was there to pick her up, give her the kick in the ass she needed to face the creatures. Siobhan took a deep breath as Ikora’s voice came over the comm line.

“Siobhan?” Ikora spoke into the comm line, worry threading her voice. Both Hunter and Ghost had gone silent. It was alarming.

“It’s Taken!” Siobhan practically screamed. Her hands clasped at her helmet as she forced the whispers from her head. They pressed in from all sides, despite her best efforts to remain calm the voices threatened. The Taken were the only enemy she had difficulty facing down from the horrors she faced in Oryx’s Ascendant realm. The poison they contained was deadly to her. The memory of Oryx’s blade was fresh in her mind, though it had been years since she’d faced him. The searing pain had been a brand on her skin as it cut through her armor. Nevia had tasted his blade as well, they’d been able to help each other out despite the wounds.

“No.” Ikora whispered over the line. Only her Fireteam and Nevia fully understood how the Ascendant realm had affected her. “We can’t let them win Guardian. I know how you feel Siobhan. But we must persevere.” Siobhan sucked in a breath. She had to avoid direct attacks. Her hand tightened on the bow at her back, the grip comforting.

“Oryx didn’t stop me. These weaklings won’t stop me.” Siobhan looked up at the tunnel and decided to take a page out of Jareth’s book. She charged the wards, if she stayed ahead of their explosions then she could take out that element. The Taken came clawing out of the rifts, and her eyes narrowed. Though fear thrummed in her chest she drew the rifle and jumped for the high ground. Rage fueled her body as she tore through them. She tore through the ranks in the tunnel, leaving nothing behind her but bad memories. Siobhan made her way through after battling the Taken and listening to Ikora speak about Ghaul’s possible plans. She was beginning to sound like her old self, which was a great comfort. Ikora wasn’t Ikora if she wasn’t theorizing, it made a small smile tug at Siobhan’s lips. Neither woman had no doubt that he had plans to mine the Traveler’s energy. He was insane, drunk with his own delusions. He was going to get the rudest wake up call she could manage.

“Meet me outside.” No need to ask her twice.

“As soon as we can.” Arawn told her as they took on some more Taken. Siobhan let her bullets fly with the Taken. Not a single one would be left in this realm when she was done. The anger fueled her actions, the desire to obliterate the Taken almost overtaking her good sense. It was almost a blind rage. There had to be a balance she could reach, being overwhelmed by her anger wasn’t going to help matters either.

“Attention all channels! Something or someone drew the Taken here!” The sharp voice startled her into missing a step. She went hurtling towards the ground, saved by quick reflexes. Arawn spun his shell and commented about superhero landings as she shushed him before heading on. She ignored the voice, it sounded accusatory. The Cabal drew the Taken, the certainty of it settled on her shoulders.

“Asher Mir? Is that you?” He ignored Ikora and went on to talk about the Taken stealing Io’s energy. Siobhan groaned and rolled her eyes. This was not going to end well, no doubt one of them would ask her to deal with it. Her desire her Fireteam and Nevia increased as she raced through the cavern. She blew out a breath and headed further into the cave, finding what appeared to be a man-made structure. The chatter on the comm involved someone going to investigate and Siobhan rolled her eyes. Why bother dancing around the question? She already knew they were going to ask her anyway. She was “the Guardian” as Shaxx put it. The memory of his words rang in her memory and she winced. Was that how everyone saw her? As a means to getting their Light back? Not as a person… She stopped herself from going further, she doubted the answer would be to her liking.

“I already had a feeling that it would be me. No need to say anything Ikora.” Siobhan interrupted the Vanguard as she headed out into the open area. She and Arawn both cried out at the sight of the Taken Blight in the courtyard. It was enormous. She’d only seen them that large in Oryx’s realm. What did this mean for them?

“No! I won’t let them win!” Siobhan yelled as Arawn spoke about the Taken summoning a portal. She wouldn’t let them summon a portal, no way in hell. Perhaps the Taken Wizard wouldn’t be the one to beat after all. The mix of Vex, Hive, and even Fallen Taken annoyed the hell out of her. All were massive pains in their own right, but give them Taken powers? That just amplified the annoyance. The thralls locked onto her movements with their creepy glowing eyes, Siobhan’s lips thinned as she raced towards a launching ground. She jumped up on a rock to use her _Shadowshot_ to tether the remaining group that had been incoming to her location.

“We’ll take a closer look.” Siobhan hated it when Arawn volunteered her for shit. She heaved a sigh.

“Will you please _quit_ volunteering me for this stuff!?” Siobhan pleaded as they approached the Blight. It flickered and she stepped back in alarm. It wasn’t closed!

“We definitely did not close the portal.” Panic skittered down her spine as the portal pulsed, sending fresh whispers into her mind. _She’s coming. They’re coming_.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” A litany of curses fell from her lips like raindrops as she dashed away from the Blight as rifts appeared. Taken poured out in waves and she barely held them off. They weren’t the strongest but the sheer number of them was enough to overwhelm her. The worst was the Herald of Savathun that appeared. A high ranking Cabal warlord that had been corrupted and twisted into a servant of the Darkness. Siobhan would feel pity if the Warlord wouldn’t have been trying to destroy everything she loved without being Taken. Either way, she was putting it out of its misery. Her rocket launcher’s comforting weight slid into her hands as she settled it on her shoulder.

“Send my regards to the Ascendant realm.” She launched the rockets at its face and watched as its body distorted and was sucked back into the other realm. The whispers screamed in her mind, raking across her sanity as the Blight flickered. She finished off the rest of the Taken as the Blight warped, blinding her for a few seconds, and a whisper in her mind. _She’s coming._ Before it disappeared. The silence in its wake unnerved her, she almost missed the Void whispers. _Abandon this quest. Seek out solace._ Ah, there they were.

“Siobhan. Are you all right?” Arawn bounced next to her helmet as they stared at the spot the Blight had been, both unblinking and attempting to absorb everything.

“That was a Herald of Savathun. Did you hear that?” Her Ghost nodded and Ikora was silent. Siobhan knew the Book of Sorrows, she knew who Savathun was. A memory of Nevia in that cavern flashed in her mind. No way would that bitch get her best friend. Her fists tightened as she pivoted towards the exit. She spoke again but it was to tell them she had no place on Io any longer and would join the Vanguard on Earth. Siobhan smiled, she knew the relief Zavala and Cayde would feel when Ikora reunited with them. Like the final piece in a puzzle, it was right. She had felt the same when Jareth finally joined them at the Farm. Asher spoke quickly over the comm and referred the Siobhan as ‘meddling.’

“Meddling? _Meddling_!?” Siobhan snarled as she headed out of the fortress. They hadn’t even met face to face and Siobhan was ready to punch him. His condescending tone was driving her batty. “Well I have a few choice words to say to you too Asher Mir!” They traveled to Asher Mir’s camp. The Sparrow made it easier to travel, and dart around the skirmishes between Cabal and Taken.

“Ikora tells me that Commander somebody has a plan to attack the so-called Almighty.” Asher spoke to her as she stormed over to his location. She was surprised to see that he was an Awoken like her, and his arm… Siobhan watched the mechanical fingers flex, but she turned her head as the Taken drew closer. Only to be diverted by Cabal forces. Asher was speaking but she wasn’t listening that well. The encounter with the Taken had shaken her, especially that voice telling her: _She’s coming._ It affected her more than she’d let on to Ikora, but Arawn knew. He kept a steady stream of reassurances while they were on the Sparrow, and she felt his warm Light through their connection.

“So we are going to take on this remnant of an old Warmind.” Arawn spoke slowly to Asher and shook his head. “That sounds awfully like Rasputin. He’s… Not exactly our biggest fan.” Siobhan thought to all the times she had to fight in his bunker and the whole SIVA mess. Winced as she remembered having to blow up a part of his replication chamber for SIVA. Yeah, he really wasn’t her biggest fan. She did notice the new title Asher gave her after making fun of Commander Zavala. Assistant. It was a lot nicer than some names she’d been called before. Though, she could do without the condescending tone. She almost preferred the vitriol that her enemies spewed than this constant barrage of attacks on her intelligence and character. She wasn’t the smartest Guardian but she wasn’t exactly an idiot. Siobhan sighed and headed out of the camp, if only to get away from the lecturing. The man had a good enough reason to be cranky, though what she’d heard from Ikora made it seem like he’d always been a grump. The Vex arm had to be painful, the tech and organic bodies weren’t supposed to mix. Siobhan hoped they would be able to do something for him.

“Fine. We’ll go help find this place.” Arawn told Asher as they got onto the Sparrow and approached the base. Trepidation and fear settled deep in her stomach as they approached it.


	8. Chapter 8

“Why is it _always_ Taken?” Siobhan grumbled in a perfect parody of earlier dialogue from the Fallen mines. Despite the light hearted banter, inside she was terrified. The Taken were serious, they brought forth memories better left buried. They were at the huge drill in the base, attempting to break into the bunker underneath it. Siobhan grinned as she could hear Jareth’s jokes about it. She was mostly ignoring Asher’s comments about calling her Assistant. He was easy to tune out when it came down to it, Arawn let her know when they needed to go somewhere. Best all around to not let him get under her skin. She had to focus on keeping herself together for the fight against the Taken. They had traveled around Io and the Cabal base for Asher, trying to do his research before heading to the EDZ again. He claimed to be able to analyze the signal from the Cabal, which Siobhan took to hopefully mean that a way to destroy the Almighty could be found.

“And Vex? What next? Hive!?” Siobhan grumbled as she took out the Minotaur with her shotgun. _Don’t let there be Hive too. I was speaking metaphorically._ She silently sent up the prayer to whoever was listening. Fate tended to be fickle with her. The Goblins in the other room were easy to dispatch, she had some built up resentment from Nessus that she was able to take out on them. The sniper beams from Hobgoblins just ratcheted up the annoyance factor, luckily a few well placed shots were able to take them out. “So many Vex.” Siobhan grumbled as she made it to the mine controls. The floor was littered with scattered machine parts as she left the trail of death in her wake. She never let a single Vex remain standing. After the Vault of Glass she would take pleasure in grinding them beneath her boot until there was nothing but bolts and oil.

“Safety standards are a _good_ thing Asher.” Arawn tried to convince him as they headed over the small expanse in search of manual overrides. The controls wouldn’t activate because the Cabal had decided to play loose with the protocols. Which left her to reset it. Her inquiry about just shooting it was met with charged silence. Asher mumbled something about impulsive, trigger happy Hunters but she ignored him. She knew that no one could judge someone based on their class. She paused at the entrance of the cavern, and heaved a put upon sigh. Another cave. She wondered if the scientists in the Golden Age believed in anything above ground. The caves were not her best friend and she grumbled as she went into the bunker. Siobhan wondered what it was about her enemies that made them gather under the ground. Asher warned her about Taken in the area, but she’d long since felt them. Or rather, their presence had never disappeared.

“Yeah, I kind of already figured the _Taken_ were here.” Siobhan told Asher who snapped back about not warning her anymore. Ikora shushed them both as the Hunter headed into the rift. The whispers pushed at her mind, and she had a flash of something in her mind. A symbol but she had no time to analyze it. The waves of Taken preoccupied her attention. Siobhan made sure that there were no Taken left in the area before continuing on, she didn’t want any of them to make a sneak attack from behind. The thought of being trapped was enough to make her extra cautious, even when Asher was harping in her ear about hurrying up. This was the one thing she wouldn’t be hurried on.

“You are quite talented in eliminating the Taken.” Siobhan didn’t bother to smother her retort.

“A compliment? From you Asher?” Feigned shock earned her a scornful scoff from the Warlock. Arawn told her to behave and she shrugged as they moved through the caves. It had been too much of a prime opportunity. No regrets.

“This Guardian was one of the two that took out Oryx, Asher.” Ikora informed him and she could practically feel the surprise coming from Asher. If she wasn’t so busy eliminating the Taken, she’d bask in the situation. Asher Mir was rendered temporarily speechless by the news that a Hunter had defeated the Taken King. She’d gotten the impression that Asher saw everyone below himself, not out of anything malicious. He just dismissed anyone who didn’t fit his ideals. She grinned as he continued on as if nothing had transpired. Siobhan continued onwards, eliminating Taken and Vex in equal measure. She did her best to ignore the whispers that slipped under her guard, latching onto her mind. The voices were becoming clearer, more articulate. _She’s coming. The Betrayer is close._ More articulate. She’d felt the dark tug at her Light, it took a toll on her to keep them at bay. They’d never get her Light. Arawn noticed the strain in her thinned lips and tightness in her eyes and tried to help alleviate it. This would be something she needed to talk to Ikora about, once Ghaul was defeated. The City couldn’t be caught blindsided again, but Siobhan knew it wouldn’t come to that. She’d find a way to go to Savathun before the Witch Bitch ever made it to the City. A few taps of her fingers and the controls were overridden.

The unholy screams of the Taken Wizards raked over her ears as they appeared. She looked over her shoulders and smirked as they floated there. “I wondered when you’d join the party! Give my regards to the Witch Bitch will you?” The arrows put them down before any reinforcements were called. She stepped over the smoking ground, snatching up her arrows as she went. Vex and Taken were at war with one another in the other room, and she paused only a moment to enjoy the sight. “Where’s popcorn when you need it?” For once it wasn’t turned on her. Then a Taken Phalanx soldier noticed her, she ducked as the bullets flew past her head. This eventually drew the Vex’s attention and she simply used her Shadowshot to wipe them all out. “Assholes.” Siobhan stopped at the edge of the crevice, she peered down into the chasm with a suspicious eye.

“What is taking you so long? Go in there and get the data I need.” Asher’s voice didn’t help her annoyance levels.

“I don’t know how far that drop is.”

“It isn’t as if you will die permanently. Now get in there.” Disgust laced his voice. Siobhan’s lips thinned and she couldn’t stop her retort. Though it was like yelling at the Void.

“It still hurts like hell! Arawn, mute the channel please.” Asher’s protest was muffled as her Ghost muted the channel as requested. Blessed silence greeted her. _She comes._ Relatively anyway. She hopped down into the bunker, pleased it wasn’t as far as she thought.

“More Taken?” Siobhan grumbled as she shared a look with Arawn before he disappeared. “More Taken.” She answered herself as the enemies turned in unison to see her. Her hands tightened on the rifle as she steeled herself for a long fight. There were too many for her to stay in one spot. Her best option would be to keep moving, taking potshots and using her grenades. _Shadowshot_ eased the battle somewhat, the weaker enemies were taken out by the arrow while the stronger ones got tethered for Siobhan to take out. A Taken Gate Lord stepped out of a rift and Siobhan just stared for a solid five seconds. “Are you _kidding_ me!? A Gate Lord!?” She found a blind spot and spewed a litany of expletives as she reloaded her shotgun. Centurions appeared alongside the Gate Lord but she took them out with her shotgun. It was quick dashes, dirty tactics, and buckshot to faces while she took down the Centurions. Soon the Gate Lord was the only enemy that remained. The claws glinted in the bunker’s flickering light, dripping with Taken ichor. Her attacks slowly chipped away at it, frustration mounted as she realized it was _resisting_ her Light! An upgrade from the Bitch Queen no doubt.

“I took down your _king_. You can go to hell.” Siobhan told him as she threw everything at the boss. Rockets, her _Shadowshot_ , grenades, and she even got in close to stab it at one point. The walls shook from the force of her onslaught. All the rage and fear from the Ascendant realm was poured into her desperate fight. Her focus slipped and the claws came down. Her feet weren’t fast enough and they raked through her armor. She couldn’t hold in the howl of pain as the searing pain scorched across her abdomen. She felt the ichor take root, like a weed in a rose garden. There wasn’t time to stop and analyze the wound, she had to deal with the Gate Lord. Arawn merely closed the wound so she could focus on taking out the creature. The wound pulsed in a rhythm that wasn’t her heartbeat. It meant one thing, the poison was in her system. She had to get it out before it got to her Light, she remembered what Oryx had told her. Taunted her with. The thought of becoming one of them, it was enough of a push to get her to finish the fight. The Gate Lord fell as her smoke from her rocket launcher swirled in the air. Sweat poured down her face, fever had set in. That meant infection was already there. Damn it. She limped over to the bunker and let Arawn take over. She slid down to the floor, breathing in a controlled bursts to control the pain. The whispers were louder, she couldn’t feel the Void ones anymore. It worried her. She knew that she was vulnerable to the poison, but this was fast. She worried for her Light, for Arawn. Her eyes saw him talking, bobbing and spinning in response to whatever Asher said. The throbbing in her belly drowned out everything else. Join us. Her jaw tightened as a renewed sense of fight filled her. She’d never become one of them. Arawn asked how the scan went and Asher went off into some scientific terms that had Siobhan scratching her head. He made a comment about it being over her head. The pain had her responding far more harshly than she wanted. She was an intelligent woman, but specifics eluded her in certain fields. Like _astrophysics_. Asher sniffed at her sarcasm and Ikora interrupted before the two could go off on one another, again. Arawn was thankful but Siobhan didn’t have the distraction. She felt the words pulse through her. Let go.

“If Zavala blows up the Almighty, he’ll blow up the sun too.” Siobhan cursed. She knew it wouldn’t be easy but did it have to be catastrophic results all the time? She struggled to stand, unsteady and grabbing the wall, before she answered Ikora. Arawn beat her to it.

“Oh. That’s bad.” Arawn murmured as Ikora said she’d go and rejoin her Fireteam. Siobhan nodded, Zavala and Cayde worried for her. They were a team, despite their differences. They needed to be united against Ghaul. She stumbled as the pain pulsed in her abdomen, sending aftershocks through her system. It felt like a thousand needles poking her skin. She could feel the fever muddying her thoughts and knew that it would only be a few hours before it consumed her body with heat. Arawn could hold it off but he couldn’t do both. Two Ghosts were needed for this part. One to hold off infection and the other to eliminate the ichor. Only two Ghosts could do it. Only one was willing to put their Light at risk when it came down to the line. Lilith and Byron were needed, she needed to be back at the Farm. They made it to their ship and she barely had the strength to set their course. Her hands shook from the exertion it took to plot the course. Her breathing was labored as the fever sapped her will. Temptation pulled at her, to just sleep. All would be over if she just slept. That it was the Taken poison telling her to sleep was the only thing keeping her awake. Spite was one hell of a motivator.

Siobhan leaned her head back against the pilot’s chair as she let Arawn take care of most of it. “Siobhan… I can’t do much. The Taken. There’s too much poison. I’ve never seen this much from a single wound _outside_ of the Ascendant realm. I need help.” Siobhan nodded, she’d figured as much. Alarm bels clanged in her mind, it must be bad if Arawn was worried this much.

“Lilith?” Arawn nodded. “It’s Taken poison, it’s going to be a tenacious sonofabitch. I remember that from the Ascendant realm. Damn Oryx got me good before we finished him off.” Her chuckle cracked as the pain sliced through her body. She doubled over as the ship broke orbit. Siobhan set their course to Earth as she let Arawn keep her from bleeding out. Her Ghost fluttered about in worry as he tried to extract the Taken poison seeping into her body. She warned him it wouldn’t do any good. She asked him to focus on keeping the poison from spreading until they got to Earth. Through their link, Arawn felt what she felt. He wasn’t able to hear the whispers, but felt the sharp tugs at Siobhan’s mind. The pain was immense, this was worse than Oryx’s realm. He prayed to the sleeping Traveler to keep his Guardian safe. He couldn’t lose her, she was his partner. He watched her face contort as another wave of pain washed over her.

“Hang on Siobhan.” Arawn murmured worriedly as they flew towards the Farm. His shell quivered as he saw the fever creeping in her body as the Light fought the poison. It was fighting hard, ravaging her body as it did so. They’d survived Ghaul’s assault on the City and the loss of their Light. He’d be damned if he lost his Guardian to this! Arawn manipulated the controls to speed up their course to the Farm. There were some things he could do after all.

********************************************************************

The Vanguard had their mission briefing and discussed their options. The battle plan was put into place, with Hawthorne interjecting. They had to learn to work together or this whole thing would blow up in their faces. Each had their own reasons for wanting to fight, and those reasons aligned in surprising ways. There were numerous people willing to fight Ghaul, Light or no Light. They all had to band together to bring him down or face extinction. The argument was avoided by the news that Siobhan was back from Io. The Vanguard headed out to greet her and inform her of the plan when Ikora’s eyes narrowed as the Guardian stumbled out of her ship. Her hair plastered to her face from the sweat. Her skin had lost what little color it had had, it sat at an ash grey now. The aura that danced along her skin wasn’t there. Dark circles under her eyes, dimmed from the fever raging in her, stood out in contrast to her skin.

“Siobhan?” Cayde stepped forward as he saw the paleness of her face. Hawthorne felt her throat clench at the sight of Siobhan. She didn’t think Guardians could get sick, she knew the signs of a fever. Zavala and Ikora both approached the Hunter carefully, worry written across their face as she tilted back. She quickly righted herself, holding the edge of her ship for balance. Arawn flew past them as her fireteam approached. He yelled for Lilith who rushed past Jareth. The Titan ran towards Siobhan as she stumbled forward, her strength failing her at last. He reached out to catch her, with Anna beside him. They weren’t going to make it. Siobhan fell towards the ground, her tattered cloak floating behind her. Jareth and Anna let out twin alarmed cries when another arm shot out from behind her and stopped her descent. The Hunter leaned back against the solid form behind her, the fever from the poison clouding her mind. She assumed it was Echo or Nevia that caught her as her eyes rolled from the fever. She didn’t even question whether it was friend or foe. Either way she’d get some respite. Her vision faded to black as her body went limp in those arms.

“What has happened?” Shaxx demanded as worry filled his chest. She was injured or sick, he could feel it in the way her body trembled and in the heat that blazed off her skin. Something was dangerously wrong, it twisted in his gut. No one was answering his question, he hefted her up in his arms after her body went slack. She’d fainted, it had alarm clanging through him. Temper and worry swirled in his chest, with temper winning out as he lashed out at the bodies arguing among themselves. “What happened!?” His roar stopped the arguing and refocused their attention on Siobhan. Annalise saw the crimson staining blooming on Siobhan’s armor and released a ragged breath. The three slashes revealed an angry, throbbing wound. It was purple with infection, with blood oozing from the barely closed wound. Fear was a constant companion, but not this type of fear. This bone deep fear that she’d lose Siobhan to something worse than death. Anna felt Jareth go still next to her as his eyes raked over the wound.

“Did she fight any Taken?” Jareth demanded as he pivoted to Ikora who nodded. Shaxx felt his stomach drop at the news. Taken were back. Bloody vultures. He glanced down at Siobhan’s still form, but he’d never known an injury from the creatures to cause this reaction in a Guardian. He started as two bodies flew towards him, his grip tightened on Siobhan at the panicked cries of her teammates.

“Yes. There was Taken on Io, but.” Her sentence was cut off as Siren rushed Shaxx. Jareth snatched her limp form from him despite his loud protest and Annalise ran ahead to prepare an area to work. Nevia and Echo came back to see Jareth rush by them with Siobhan cradled in his arms. Nevia’s eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of Siobhan in Jareth’s arms.

Nevia followed the fireteam, she knew the signs of corruption. She was more familiar with her own than Taken, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from helping. They muscled Hawthorne’s people out of the barn and laid her on the table. The soft protest gave them hope. If she still felt pain, there was a chance to save her. Annalise and Nevia popped the armor seals and peeled it off. Revealing the putrid wound beneath. Twin cries of anguish reached Jareth’s ears as they saw the scale of the wound.

“Oh Siobhan, what did you encounter?” Anna murmured as she saw the skin around the wound. It was pulsing and purple, a clear sign of infection. The beat was to whatever the Taken considered their God. She brushed a hand over the rest of Siobhan, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw it wasn’t injured elsewhere. The corruption seemed to be contained to that one area and Arawn explained he’d managed to keep the infection from spreading. But at the risk of not being able to heal the wound itself. He’d managed to stop the bleeding but it had taken everything in him to keep the ichor from going to the rest of her body. Nevia patted his shell as he sounded distraught. As if it was his fault she was like this. He’d done his best to protect Siobhan, and Nevia told him as much. Anna cleared her throat to get their attention. “This will hurt. Is there any way you can keep her unconscious Arawn?”

“I can try…” Annalise jumped as a hand grasped her forearm in a brutal grip. She looked down as Siobhan met her eyes. Those bright blue eyes met hers and she saw a moment of clarity in them, Siobhan was no fool. She knew they had to do what was needed. She nodded to her as Siobhan closed her eyes. Anna sent up a quick prayer that Arawn could render her unconscious and prevent her from feeling this pain. She met Nevia’s eyes over Siobhan’s body, they shared a speaking glance. They knew this was going to be dirty, painful, and would seem like torture to anyone coming in.

“Jareth. You can stay as Lilith is needed for this. Byron?” Annalise’s Ghost popped up and agreed to help, though he wasn’t sure how much he could do. He wasn’t used to dealing with Taken poison, not like Lilith or Arawn were. His talents were best used for research. “You can help by letting the Vanguard know that their plan to defeat the Almighty will have to be on hold. Until we can fix this.” He fluttered in indignation, given this task he thought taking care of the corruption would be an easier task.

“Give me the easy jobs why don’t you?” He popped up on the other side of the door to see the Vanguard gathered around the door, with Zavala clutching Shaxx’s shoulder. The large Titan looked ready to charge. Worry and anger fell off him in waves, Byron decided against talking with them. Perhaps one with a more level head would be best. In the end, he decided on his and Anna’s own Vanguard. She was well known for having a clear and level head, and would best understand the situation. He hoped, this was for Siobhan. “Ikora?” Byron fluttered over to the Warlock, debating the best way to tell her.

“What is happening Byron?” She raised her hand to allow the Ghost to rest there while he spoke. She had a suspicion as to what he was going to say, and she gladly agreed with him. They needed to wait until Siobhan was well, taking unnecessary risks could result in disaster.

“Siobhan…” He paused and pondered how to explain it. “The Taken have poison in them. It eats someone alive from the inside, slowly corrupting their soul until they become one of them. The stronger the enemy, the more potent the poison is. Most Guardians can resist it easily because of their Light. But, there are certain Guardians who are vulnerable. No matter how bright their Light, the poison will bring them to their knees. Siobhan is susceptible to it. Anna thinks it’s because of how long she and Nevia were in the Ascendant realm. Something changed them inside that place, and this could be a consequence of it.” He explained as Ikora cast a quick glance at the door. She knew Siobhan had difficulty facing Taken, but she’d had no idea it was this bad. Had she known, she wouldn’t have sent her alone to investigate. A Guardian becoming a Taken, she wouldn’t even think it. This one would pull through, she’d faced insurmountable odds before and this was no different. Byron ignored the sharp intake from the large Titan next to them. “Nevia reacted differently than Siobhan did, so she’s not as vulnerable to it.”

Cayde breathed a sigh of relief, but worry was still etched into his facial plates. This was one of his Hunters, and a damned good one. For all her clumsy antics at the Tower, there were few more you could count on at your back than Siobhan. She’d done more in her decade of being a Guardian than most had done in centuries. She had an infectious energy that brought a grin to even Zavala’s face sometimes. He swore the Titan Vanguard’s face would crack if he smiled, but Siobhan had managed it. She was Nevia’s best friend and could be there with her while he couldn’t. He didn’t want to think how it would affect Nevia if something happened to Siobhan. They were more like sisters than friends. If something happened at the Tower it was usually one or the other that caused it. He crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall, there was no way he was leaving.

“Can it kill her?” Zavala asked as he stepped forward. They all needed to know because Siobhan was the only Guardian with the Light. While he was worried about her, the fate of the system rested on her shoulders. If something happened to her, it wasn’t something he wanted to contemplate. She came onto Titan and gave him hope when he’d been surrounded by darkness. He refused to give up so easily, but he had to ask.

Byron’s optical light flickered with nerves as he really didn’t want to say this. He wasn’t sure how the news would go over with the Vanguard, and his shell fluttered with it. The impact would be harsh, worse than a Striker’s fist. He bobbed in the air before answering Zavala’s question, reluctance ringing in his voice.

“It won’t kill her.” They all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Shaxx relaxed his shoulders at the news, she wouldn’t die. “It would do something worse than that. If the poison spreads to her heart, Annalise is almost certain it would corrupt her Light and she’d become a Taken.” The Vanguard tensed at the news. Ikora had suspected, it was a widely held theory. The idea sent chills down her spine to contemplate. Cayde’s fingers tightened on his arms as the worst case scenario flew through his mind. A Taken Siobhan and Hive corrupted Nevia, it wasn’t something worth thinking of. Zavala’s fists clenched as he struggled to reign in the worry. Shaxx went completely still. Helpless rage burned in his chest and he glanced at the door again. Byron popped up into his line of vision. “My Guardian and the others know what they’re doing. Will you let them work in peace?” Ikora nodded, she only held theoretical knowledge of the Taken poison. If Siobhan’s team knew how to deal with it, she would not interfere.

“All right. We will leave them to work.” Zavala told Byron. There was little else to discuss. None of them could be of use here, but there was still the assault to coordinate. Cayde leaned against the wall by the door. Zavala stared at him as he stiffened.

“What? I’m not going to leave. I won’t bother them but I’m not leaving as long as Nevia is in there. And that’s one of my Hunters lying there, yeah. Not going anywhere.” He waved his hand in an impatient gesture at Zavala before he leaned against the side of the building again. Zavala knew better than to try and move Cayde when he dug in his heels. It would do good for one member of their team to remain there and keep watch on the progress. Cayde was the most logical choice to remain behind.

“Come on Shaxx. We’ll go organize what forces we have.” Zavala patted his shoulder. He didn’t move. The Commander studied Shaxx’s body language. They’d been friends for longer than he’d like to admit, despite the disagreements between them, Zavala knew Shaxx. Worry poured off him in waves. Zavala had a suspicion it wasn’t the worry for a fellow Guardian, and it warmed him to see it. He shook his head as Shaxx focused on him again. He tried to offer some words of comfort.

“I’m sure that Siobhan will be fine. She’s survived worse odds than this.” Zavala noticed Kara next to Shaxx, she was as preoccupied as he was. Even Kara was fluttering around nervously. He knew what he would tell Shaxx, he needed to stay. For his own peace of mind. Perhaps he wasn’t able to come to terms with his feelings but Zavala saw it written clearly in his posture. This was not the worry of a fellow Guardian for another, this was the bone deep fear one had for someone they cared about.

“She will.” Shaxx looked down at his glove and saw the dark stain, the color of red wine, on it. Her blood. He clenched his fist to hide it as worry twisted like a knife in his gut. He couldn’t do anything to help her. The helplessness was driving him insane. Protective instincts he thought he’d suppressed were beating against his mind and body. Everything screamed at him to go to her, but what could he do? They wouldn’t allow him to stay beside her, he’d just get in the way. He wanted to wait but there were things that needed his attention. For once he just wanted to be selfish. He’d given much to the City and its people. Now he just wanted to stay and wait to see if she made it. His eyes watched the door as there were sounds behind it he tried to block out. He jerked as Zavala patted his shoulder forcefully, to break him out of his thoughts. The Titan Vanguard told him to stay, and that broke the self-imposed limbo he’d been in. Zavala was telling him it was okay to choose to stay, to focus on what he wanted for a little while. He’d watch over the civilians while he stayed. Zavala left Shaxx to his thoughts after explaining he was going to get some rest.

“Good luck big guy. They’ve already kicked me out once.” Cayde told him as Shaxx approached. He turned to look at Cayde. “It…” Cayde paused as he rubbed the back of his head. “It wasn’t pretty in there.” The grim darkness of his tone told Shaxx all he needed to know. Cayde remembered the blood, but most of all he remembered the smell. Cloying with a metallic tang. Death hovered in the air and he shuddered at the memory of the groans he heard coming from the table. He hadn’t made it very far in the room when he’d left. Seeing Siobhan like that, it had been too much.

“What news is there?” Cayde sighed and straightened.

“From what I got while in there. It’s not good. Ya know, I had no clue that Taken poison can actually corrupt Guardians. Seems that the damn stuff has done serious damage and they have to get to the root of the wound. They had to, ah, cut into the wound to take the infected stuff out.” Cayde shuddered as the ghostly image of the putrid flesh on the floor came back and glanced at Shaxx. “Why so worried? Need her for the mission? We all do.” Cayde rolled his shoulders and watched the hesitation in the huge Titan. He recognized something of himself in Shaxx. When he’d waited for Nevia to wake up after Savathun’s cavern. “Wait. You’re actually _worried_ about her?”

“Of course I am. I’m not inhuman Cayde.” Shaxx muttered as he watched the door, ignoring the Hunter Vanguard. The flippant attitude was not something he had the patience to deal with now. The groan he heard had his hand reaching for the door but Cayde stopped him. His fingers tightened on Shaxx’s wrist.

“No I mean worried for her. As in more than just ‘the Guardian that will save us all is in danger’, you actually care what happens to her.” Cayde chuckled and crossed his arms as he could feel the glare from Shaxx. He just knew Shaxx was calling him all sorts of names in his head. The Titan moved to stand next to the Hunter Vanguard, refusing to comment on his snark. It was something to puzzle over, at least it distracted him from what was happening inside. The big and intimidating Crucible master was losing it over one of his Hunters. Granted that Hunter had one heck of an impressive resume, but she wasn’t the type he’d pinned Shaxx for. Though he could see it. Siobhan had a playful side that could balance out how serious Shaxx could get over the Crucible. Yet, it was tempered by a dedication to the City that he felt Shaxx could understand. They would make an interesting pair, that was for sure. Though he wondered how Shaxx felt about a Guardian that preferred to avoid the Crucible. His musings distracted him while they waited for news.

Shaxx was drowning in his own worry. He couldn’t lose her, not to death and not to corruption. It was difficult to remind himself that she was strong. It had been that inner strength that drew him to her, and was the first thing he sensed in her. All those years ago when she’d first entered the Crucible after having just been revived. He clasped his hands together while letting his thoughts circle. He picked apart his actions towards her since their escape from the City. Without the Crucible he’d been forced to see her in an entirely new light. She’d blended well into surviving in the Wilds, which shouldn’t surprise him. After Emyr’s death she’d taken off into the Wilds. Not even Cayde had been able to track her, she’d gone dark. They’d feared the worst until she’d shown up with the news that the Black Garden was destroyed. He rubbed the back of his neck as he admitted, to himself, that there was something there. Still too fragile to give a name to, but there all the same. He’d sit on it awhile longer and see where it went. First and foremost, he had to speak to Siobhan. He watched the door in silence, with Cayde beside him just as silent. The mood was somber as the rest of the Farm went on around them. It wasn’t too long before Nevia popped her head out.

“Well, we got the last of the poison out. Now she just needs to rest and heal.” Shaxx straightened at the news, elation rushing through him. Cayde pushed off the wall and went over to her. “Not going to argue this time. I’m wiped.” His facial plates shifted in amusement and slung his arm around her shoulders. Then one under her knees to scoop her up. She yelled at him to put her down as they headed to their tent. Jareth glanced at Shaxx as he trudged out of the doorway. Dark circles weighed under his blue eyes as exhaustion tried to claim him. He knew Siobhan would have nightmares but he didn’t know if he had the strength to stay awake. Without his Light he was too weak. He walked past Shaxx, letting Lilith send a message to Arawn to let them know if there were nightmares. His bright blue armor stained purple with the blood stains. It twisted something in Shaxx’s chest when he saw it. How much blood had she lost?

“Ah, Lord Shaxx.” Annalise was last and smiled kindly as she saw him. He studied the young woman in front of him for any signs that something happened to Siobhan. Her face was exhausted but happy. “She’s fine. The poison is gone and her body is healing from it. She just needs rest now.” Her energy was gone, but she knew that Siobhan would heal and rest better in a bed. Not stretched out on a table. Then there was the matter of cleaning up the mess, mess being an understatement. Anna looked over at Shaxx as she explained her thoughts to him. “She would most likely rest easier if she was in her quarters but none of us have the strength to move her right now. It wasn’t… the easiest thing to do.” Anna blinked back the burning in her eyes as memories resurfaced. Her sky blue eyes met his through the helm, and he saw the hesitation in them. “Could you carry her to her quarters? I don’t have the strength left in me to lift her. Please? I’d ask Commander Zavala but I don’t want to leave her for that long and Byron is exhausted. He can’t send the message either.” Shaxx brushed past her into the room without argument. Anna was impressed that he’d do it without question, but she should have remembered that Shaxx was kind. She was grateful for it now. Nothing prepared him for what was in that room. Cayde was right, it looked like a nightmare. He saw the crimson splatter staining the floor, the once white sheets balled into the corner now brown from dried blood, and the dried matter that had to be part of the wound. It was enough to unsettle his stomach, the kind of pain she had to endure. Yet they’d barely heard a sound from the room other than the occasional groan. He glanced down at Annalise in question.

“We had to cut away the infected flesh. It was the only way to save her.” She answered his unspoken question without looking at him. Memories were too fresh for her to think about. She placed the cloak over her friend as Shaxx eased his hands beneath her legs and shoulders. Careful of the wound in her abdomen. Anna watched as he treated Siobhan like spun glass, it warmed her to see it. She had to blink back some more tears, she was turning into a watering pot without her Light it seemed. Arawn settled in closer to Siobhan’s neck, but the little Ghost was too exhausted to move. The comforting sound of Siobhan’s pulse lulled him into a fitful sleep. “Poor Arawn. He wouldn’t stop doing anything even when he reached the point of exhaustion.”

“He’s a good partner for her.” Annalise nodded at Shaxx’s assessment. Arawn was the perfect partner for Siobhan. They shared a bond that was rarely seen between Guardian and Ghost. Not even she and Byron shared that bond, no matter how much she loved her partner. Annalise quietly explained how they knew Siobhan had been vulnerable to the poison and the effort she put towards overcoming that fear of Taken because of it. She walked with him until they reached Siobhan’s tent, holding open the door for him. She waited until Shaxx had Siobhan settled in the bed before letting out a breath of relief. The sun had just gone below the horizon, it was going to be a long night. She’d do it in a heartbeat for Siobhan, knowing the Hunter would do the exact same if their situations were reversed. “You should go rest.”

“I’m not leaving her alone. I told Jareth I would take the first watch to look for any poison coming back.” Anna told him as she arranged Siobhan’s cloak on the table beside the bed. It left Siobhan with her bra and pants on, the stark white of the bandage standing out in contrast. The wound was bandaged but he could see the magenta stain from the blood oozing from it. It wasn’t completely done healing yet. Worry gnawed at his gut at the sight.

“What do I need to look for?” The Warlock blinked at him in surprise. Irritation had his teeth gnashing together as she spoke.

“That’s not necessary Lord Shaxx.” Annalise shook her head. It was one thing for him to help her get Siobhan back to her quarters, but an entirely different story to help look after her. Annalise wasn’t sure how Siobhan would feel, with Lord Shaxx seeing the nightmares overcoming her. The Hunter was guarded in who she let close, and Anna wasn’t certain how Shaxx ranked in that regard. Siren had gone through hell together, they each bore their own unique scars and were comfortable exposing those to each other. To others? Not so much. She eyed him suspiciously as he crossed his arms in a mutinous gesture. Annalise blew out an impatient breath. Here was the infamous stubbornness of the Titan. Jareth was bad but there were _legends_ about Shaxx’s stubborn nature.

“You are too tired. You may miss a detail.” He noted the Warlock stiffening at the implication of her inattention. He could see her bristling at him, the wheels rolled in her mind to come up with a retort. He decided to beat her to the punch. “I am well rested and can keep an eye out for it. I need to know what to look for.” He couldn’t leave her until he knew she would be all right. A vital part of him needed that assurance that she was alright and would be alright. Until she was healed, he wasn’t going to move an inch.

“I don’t know. The bandage needs to be changed every two hours while the wound is still oozing blood. After it’s fully closed then the bandage can be left on for four to six. The wound will need to be washed if it’s not healing on its own. I can’t let you do all of that Lord Shaxx. I’ve gone on less sleep than this.” Annalise explained as if to a child. A realization hit her that Siobhan would likely have the nightmares. Whenever she was near Taken they came back. The nightmares were horrific from what Siobhan had divulged once. Annalise remembered that Siobhan told her they were focused on the Vault of Glass. The poison and aftermath trapped her in a permanent loop of her own personal hell. It had been like pulling teeth to get Siobhan to admit that to her, she didn’t know how Siobhan would feel about Shaxx seeing her at that low of a point. The man was the epitome of strength, the shining picture of what a Titan could become. Annalise studied him quietly as he digested her direction. The worry fell off him in waves, she remembered he’d been there with Cayde. Unlike the Hunter Vanguard, Shaxx had no stake in staying until the poison was gone. This side of him was interesting and Anna hoped it was a good sign. Anna glanced back at Siobhan, the conflict written clearly on her face.

“I suppose I could show you how…” She murmured and saw him perk up, just enough for her eye to catch as she studied him. “I’ll show you how to bandage and clean the wound.” Shaxx nodded and they sat together while Anna patiently showed him how to apply the bandage and which way to wipe the cloth when cleaning the wound. Likely the man knew all of this, but Annalise needed the assurance. This was Siobhan. Anna was impressed with how gentle Shaxx was being, even Jareth at his most careful still got too rough at times. It was a point in his favor that he was so gentle with Siobhan.

He couldn’t stop the strangled sound that left his throat as she peeled back the bandage. The wound was raw, the edges barely clinging together. He could see the muscle underneath, she’d endured great pain, yet he’d barely heard her utter any sounds from that room. Annalise studied him as much as she did the wound while she changed the white dressing, thankfully seeing less blood than before. After the first change, she stood and told Shaxx she was going to get some rest. She was only two tents down and to send his Ghost if there were any changes. She also warned him that Jareth or Nevia may stop by to check on Siobhan in the night if they woke. It was habit for them.

Shaxx turned back to Siobhan as the door closed. Her face was unguarded as she slept. The circles under her eyes showed the strain she was under. Long eyelashes, as silver as her hair, fluttered over her cheek. Her eyes moved restlessly underneath her eyelids, he wondered what she dreamed of. His hand reached out to brush some of her silvery hair from her face. This Guardian was so strong, but she never asked for anything in return. The world demanded more and more of her, and she merely gave it. He’d heard her complaining to her Ghost but it had been more to grouse than true protest. He’d not once heard her say anything negative about her situation. Not even when she’d had good reason to rage against the Vanguard, she’d turned her rage at her enemies. She’d been the one to take up the mantle of finding a way to defeat Ghaul. When everyone was still shell shocked from the loss, and most simply turned their backs to the Tower and City, she’d stood up and found a solution. Even without her Light she’d been fierce. He remembered the words she’d yelled at him when they first got to the Farm. _Then I’ll die knowing I tried!_ Those words had resonated deep in him. Here was a Guardian that had been shown her mortality and spit in it’s eye. To see her brought low by this hurt, a sharp throb deep in his chest.

His eyes swung over to Siobhan, her hand rested loosely by her head. A glimmer by her hair snagged his attention, he saw her Ghost there. Tangled in that hair. Shaxx carefully extracted Arawn from his hairy prison and set him next to her on the pillow. He sat by the bed, leafing through one of the books some of the survivors brought back. After four hours, and his diligent changing of the bandages, he saw her stir.

“Siobhan?” Shaxx looked up as Kara uttered her name in alarm. He saw her fists clenched into the blankets, the knuckles going white from the force of it. Her body bowed up and he jerked out of the chair and to the side of the bed. Something was wrong. What had Annalise told him? That she’d have nightmares? He remembered her mentioning it before leaving. This wasn’t what he expected. This wasn’t a nightmare. This horror had its claws in her body, not just her mind.

“No, no, no.” The word was a loop on her lips as she turned onto her side and curled into herself. Her hands clutched at her ears. “Don’t! Don’t go! NO!” Her voice rose at the last word and Arawn stirred from his spot.

“Siobhan?” The Ghost floated over to her as Shaxx reached for her arm. “No, don’t touch her Lord Shaxx. That’s the last thing you should do when she’s having a nightmare.” Arawn told him as he floated over by her head. He knew this particular dream, and wished for anything but. She was reliving Emyr’s death.

“A nightmare?” Shaxx felt his chest burn at the raw emotion on her face. She was in pain, her mind ravaging her now. The tears streaked down her face as she faced those demons. That personal hell he understood too well. “Her wound!” Her wound stretched and pulled as her body bowed and twisted from the nightmare. Her body was curled up as her protests spilled from her lips in a helpless stream.

“I know. I need to get her out of it.” Arawn began to speak softly to Siobhan but it didn’t work. “It’s not working. Could it be because the poison?” Arawn murmured and turned to Shaxx. “You’re louder than me. I need you to speak to Siobhan. Give her mind something real to anchor onto. Touch makes it worse, this nightmare especially. She needs something to break the cycle.” He explained and Shaxx felt hope. This he could do, a way to help her. If his voice would bring her away from the nightmares, then he’d do it. Arawn told him to go stand beside the bed, but instead he sat on it. The bed creaked under his weight and he took off his helmet to speak to her. He set it on the table beside her with a soft thud, he resisted the urge to stroke her face as tears streamed down her face.

“Siobhan. You are on the Farm. With your fireteam, Vanguard, and friends.” He spoke calmly and as loud as he dared. He didn’t want to wake up the neighbors and have them disturb Siobhan. He knew, at his core, that she wouldn’t want anyone else to see this. Her hands loosened on the blankets and her body began to relax. Arawn encouraged him. “The Vanguard are worried about you. I’m worried about you. You need to rest to heal your body. So sleep, I’ll watch over you.” His hand reached out and brushed the hair off her face, it was sticking to her with the tears and sweat. Arawn spun in alarm at the touch.

Her eyes opened and saw him there. They were glazed over and unfocused, but they pinned him with their intensity. A maelstrom of grief raged there, and he realized what her dream had been. Then they closed once again and her breathing changed. He had to turn his head to ease the burning at the back of his throat. Her breaths evened out and deepened as sleep overtook her once again. Arawn breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Shaxx. “She always sleeps better if her fireteam is near. I guess since they’re all in different rooms, this happened. I need to call Jareth or Anna…” He floated over to the table and closed his eye as he debated on who to call. They’d all worked so hard, but Siobhan needed them. He heard the rustling and the dull thud as metal hit the floor. The Ghost’s eye flew open as he saw Lord Shaxx taking off his armor. He wore only the close fitting pants as he gently pulled the sheet back. He eased Siobhan’s body under the cover and slid in beside her, noting her skin was cooler than it had been earlier. Relief swept through him, her fever was broken. The sign her body was on the mend. Arawn could finish healing her in the morning.

“Will this work?” Shaxx kept his voice low to not disturb the sleeping Guardian.

“I don’t know… It might.” Arawn told him. He honestly didn’t know if it would work. Shaxx wasn’t one of Siobhan’s trusted few, this could backfire spectacularly. He almost wanted to warn Shaxx about the kind of sleeper Siobhan was, but decided that his Guardian needed the comfort more than Shaxx did. The Crucible master would find out soon enough. If he took some perverse pleasure in it, there was no one to judge him.


	9. Chapter 9

The nightmares slowly faded from her mind as she stirred from her sleep. Mornings had never been her favorite part of the day, and she resisted every time when that dull ringing from her alarm began. She preferred to wake up in degrees. Normally Jareth or Annalise would have come in to yell at her for being a lazy bones or Arawn would have alerted her to some important mission they were late for. Arawn, where was Arawn? She turned and winced at the tug at her side. Her side throbbed with a dull ache, snatching her mind back to reality, but it was her own pulse she felt there. Not the strange pulse of the Taken poison. It was some relief for her, her body was hers again. More memories began to form in her mind, fuzzy from the sleepy cobwebs there. A hazy memory of Shaxx sitting next to her came to her, and she scoffed at the idea. She seemed to recall his asking Arawn what to do for her. _Stupid fever, stupid hallucinations._ Siobhan grumbled internally, as if Shaxx would do that. Not after that big old dumbass stunt she’d pulled. An idiot for kissing him like that. It seemed to break what fragile friendship there was between them. She didn’t have the bond with him that he and Nevia shared, one that could survive the kind of faux paus like that. Their friendship was precious to her and she hated the thought that there would be awkwardness between them. Especially after his rejection, that had stung. She deserved it but the wound to her pride was still sharp. The warm weight next to her wasn’t soft curves, so she assumed it was Jareth instead of Annalise. There was a warmth in the presence that comforted her. She realized that it had been that presence that helped drive the nightmares out of her mind. She squeezed her eyes tight to shut out the light from early dawn. If Jareth was letting her sleep in, she was taking full advantage of it. The man was an absolute beast before he had his coffee. She and Annalise hated that one quirk to him, even as they loved the man like a brother. There had been many shared mornings bonding over coffee and grumbling about the early hour. Jareth made a great heater, though Anna wasn’t a slouch.

Their power drawn from solar had something to do with it. Siobhan rarely thought about the hows, she just knew they both were warm and she hated being cold. She did notice in her drowsiness that Jareth was the one curled around her. That was odd, normally she curled up around his back. Forever the big spoon when it came to him. Siobhan chalked it up to her injury and prepared to settle back in for a nap. A prickling feeling at the corner of her mind tugged at her, something was off but she felt safe for once. Safe and secure, she had missed it. Since the cage had snapped around the Traveler, Siobhan felt unsettled. Like there was always something stalking her. Ravenous eyes watching for any weakness, wanting to devour the Light within her. She felt protected as she curled under the blanket, as the large body surrounded hers. The warmth flowed off him in waves and Siobhan snuggled further into it. She had one leg thrown over his, and one of her arms was curled over his waist. She’d be embarrassed but this was far from the first time they’d all had to share a bed. Annalise was the worst with snuggling though, she liked giving bear hugs when she snuggled. Siobhan and Jareth would literally get into shoving matches to not get squeezed, Annalise was a beast despite her size. _Well, he knows what I’m like._ She would have more pity for Jareth but he had known her sleeping habits for years.

“Siobhan.” Arawn floated over to her as Jareth stirred next to her. Siobhan moaned and buried her face in the pillow, it was always something. “How is your wound?” He floated over to her waist as another hand brushed over it, a strong hand that had seen many battles. A shiver went through her, as need tightened in her belly. That was odd. Jareth had _never_ caused that reaction in her. He was like a brother to her. Her head jerked up and her body stiffened in surprise as she recognized the face above hers.

“ _Lord Shaxx_?” Her voice was barely a squeak as she realized it wasn’t her brother in arms that she was currently wrapped around. It was mortifying and relieving at the same time. At least she didn’t have that kind of reaction with Jareth, that would have done her in. The City would need another hero as she would have perished from embarrassment. Heat sufficed her face as she jerked away from him in reflex. She ignored the sharp protest her abdomen gave her as she released Shaxx. Her limbs untangling from him as she scooted on the bed. She’d been clinging to him shamelessly. She covered her face and willed the ground to swallow her.

“Are you always like that when you sleep?” Shaxx asked as he stretched, oblivious to her distress. She buried her face in a pillow to avoid his gaze. She couldn’t believe what she’d done in her sleep. Heat flowed through her veins at the mortification. Arawn noticed and settled on top of her head, making a nest in her hair hoping to calm her. He felt the maelstrom in her mind and hoped his presence would soothe her. His comforting presence was the only thing that kept her from bolting. Best to get away before she did anything more embarrassing. She shot off an apology to Shaxx as she scrambled out of the bed, ignoring the pull and sting of her wound. She shrieked as her legs tangled in the sheets and she fell off the bed with a harsh curse. Like that. The air left her lungs as she landed flat on her back, staring dizzily up at the top of the tent. Arawn’s concerned optic light floated above her vision, his shell spun in concern.

“Always graceful Siobhan,” Arawn commented as he scanned her for any further damage from the fall. His poor Guardian wasn’t the most graceful. He detected the seething inside her mind at her own clumsiness. His scans didn’t detect any new wounds and her freshly healed wound stayed closed. Arawn jumped when Shaxx came around the bed to kneel next to Siobhan. Her hands came up to ward off his words but his hands closed around her arms and he gently pulled her up. Arawn and Siobhan shared identical expressions of surprise as the Titan expressed concern for the wound.

“Did you reopen your wound?” Shaxx demanded as he pulled the edge of her shirt up to reveal the injury. Siobhan squealed and yanked her shirt back down, covering the angry purple skin. Shaxx pulled his hand back and focused on her face. Her face was a deep blue and the Awoken aura patterns were concentrated on her cheeks in a faint glow. Embarrassment? It puzzled him. She turned to face her Ghost and he sucked in a shocked breath to see the slashing scar across her back. It went from her right shoulder to her left hip, jagged and white against her skin. Shaxx would guess it was a sword injury. It was startling to see the scar against her blue skin. The scar tissue had faded into a pale blue, almost white. He momentarily forgot about her fresh wound at the sight. There had to have been great pain involved with this one.

“Where did you get that?” On impulse, he reached out and brushed his fingers over the scar. Arawn blinked at his tone, this was far gentler than he’d ever heard from the Titan. Siobhan stiffened at the feel of his fingers, and her body’s reaction to his fingers on her back. A weary sigh pushed past her lips as she stared down at her hands in an effort to control her traitorous body. She was wearing a loose cotton tank top that Anna had changed her into. The thin material made it easy to feel every gentle stroke of his fingers down her back. It felt exquisite but was torture at the same time.

“Oryx.” That one word held a wealth of meaning. Shaxx winced as her tone began the story and the scar finished it. The complete story was lost to everyone but Nevia and Siobhan. They were the ones who faced the Taken King in his realm, and both came back changed. It was subtle in Siobhan but he could see it. He sighed and turned to grab his shirt from the small trunk in the tent. He heard the rustle of fabric and glanced over at Siobhan. He caught a flash of pale blue skin, bared to him. His head whipped around fast as he struggled to get his thoughts in order. The unmistakable sound of a zipper shattered the silence between them. The dull snap of armor seals had him turning with anger on his tongue.

“You can’t be serious? Your wound just closed!” Shaxx’s voice was a muted roar as he strode over to where she was snapping her chest piece on. Those fiery blue eyes blazed with stubbornness and an anger that was slow to burn normally. He knew she was quick with a curse or a pithy retort but her anger, true anger, was slow to awaken. When it did the storm was spectacular. She was the epitome of fiery warrior. A Valkyrie, the winged warrior angels from old mythology.

“Ghaul needs to be stopped. The Almighty needs to be disabled. And I’m the only one that can do it.” Siobhan snapped as she swept the cloak behind her and tried to fasten it to her armor. Shaxx rubbed his hand over his face and grimaced as he realized there was no talking her out of it. Helpless irritation swept through him.

“Fine. Then allow me this.” He reached over to his armor and withdrew the bundled up fabric. Siobhan tilted her head curiously, Arawn mimicking her movements. He thrust the package towards her, his face a mix of uncertainty and embarrassment. He wasn’t quite certain how his gift would be welcomed. It was a mistake, but there was no going back now.

“What’s this?” Siobhan tugged at one end of the dark fabric and gasped as it unfurled in her grasp. It was her old cloak, but someone had repaired and altered it. _Perun’s Mantle_ was fixed and looked brand new. It slashed across at an angle, but the Iron Lord’s mark blazed a brilliantly on the dark fabric. It had been the cloak she’d put on after defeating SIVA and making a promise to herself to move on from her past. Well, not move on but she refused to let it shackle her anymore. She’d worn it every day since then as a reminder to never let the past consume her. To the point that Jareth gave it a nickname.

“It’s my lucky cloak.” Her voice thick with emotion she could only stroke the fabric lovingly with her hands. This cloak was a symbol for her, it held more sentimental value than anything. There were far better cloaks out there, but she’d stubbornly refused to let it go.

“I had Everis fix it.” He looked away from her, seeing her that full of emotion had his heart racing. The look of wonder and then the shift to that look of completeness, it made his chest ache in a good way. He wanted to reach out and brush away the tears on her face. He wasn’t prepared for her arms wrapping around his waist. The embrace stole the words from him, all he could do was return it, gently because of her injury.

“Thank you.” Siobhan whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder and it hit him just how small the Guardian was. She seemed larger than life when out fighting or arguing with him. She’d gone toe to toe with him, had stood up to any obstacle in her path. It made it difficult to remember there was a woman behind the image, one who had anxieties and worries like anyone else. Her cheek rested against his chest before she stepped back. “Thank you. Thank you so much for giving this back to me. I can’t tell you how much it means to have it back.” The look of gratitude as she clutched the cloak to her was more than he could bear. His hand patted her shoulder awkwardly, unsure of his place now. He felt that there was something he should say but he was never good at this. He was far more comfortable in the Crucible, directing and giving advice.

“You’re welcome. I know how important cloaks are to Hunters.” His stilted tone sounded cool even to him. Panic rose in him as he felt her shoulder stiffen under his hand. He’d messed up but scrambled to figure out how to fix it. _If_ he could fix it. Siobhan turned her head away from him but he saw the flash of hurt on her face. Worry ate at his gut, she was hurt because of something he did. Just like that night, when he’d said the wrong thing because he believed they had to focus on the mission. That was starting to sound hollow, even to him. What the hell were they fighting for? This woman risked life and limb to fight against their enemies so everyone could savor moments like these. Shaxx felt his stomach drop with worry. She was going out alone, no one at her side. His fingers curled into fists as the thoughts whirled in his mind. He wanted to tell her to stay, to argue against her decision.

“I want to tell you to stay.” Siobhan’s face softened as her eyes filled with sympathy and the rebuttal forming on her lips when he shook his head. “But I won’t. I don’t have the right to. This is the path you have chosen. I do not like that you must do it alone.” Her lips softened into a smile of understanding. At least he cared enough to say that. It still _hurt_ to be rejected, but she would move on. She’d endure like she endured for years. Filling the void with her friends and the mission, then shoving it back down when her thoughts threatened to consume her. Not the healthiest ways to cope but it was hers.

“And I don’t like leaving you here. I worry that I will come back and no one will be here. That the Fallen or the Red Legion will have attacked and taken you away.” Siobhan realized what she said and flushed a deep cerulean. Her stupid tongue. “I don’t want anyone to be hurt.” She hastily tried to cover up that blunder. She was so pathetic Shaxx found it fascinating that she was blushing and her words hit home. She hadn’t said everyone, she’d said _you_.

“Siobhan.” The use of her name surprised her as she darted a glance up at him. Until that moment, she hadn’t been quite sure he even knew her name. It had always been Guardian or Hunter when she’d done something to piss him off. She liked how her name sounded on his lips but refused to let herself get excited. It meant nothing. Siobhan reminded herself of that as she waited for him to continue. He opened his mouth but her Ghost appeared by her side.

“Siobhan, it’s time. We have to get to that Cabal base.” Anger boiled hot and quick in his blood. Interrupted and she was off to fight Cabal. He wanted to shake some sense into her, but logic prevailed.

“You aren’t even healed yet.” Shaxx growled as Siobhan glared up at him, steeled for the argument to come. The softness in her was gone, replaced by an infamous stubbornness. Legends were told of her mule-headedness.

“I don’t have that luxury. The Taken poison is out. I can’t take the chance that Ghaul won’t use the Almighty while I’m waiting for a wound to heal.” Siobhan retorted. “If I don’t do this, we’re all dead.” Her voice lost its sharp edge as she saw the pain in his face. “I’ll come back. I promise. Oryx couldn’t kill me, so Ghaul won’t be able to either.” She smiled at him, knowing full well she had no way to predict her survival. The words were a token comfort.

“I’ll hold you to it Siobhan.” Her name felt right on his lips, he didn’t know if he could go back to calling her Guardian, didn’t know if he even wanted to. He bent down and scooped up the cloak. “Allow me.” Siobhan paused as she looked up at him. It was an intimate thing, a Hunter letting someone outside their trusted circle near their cloak. Let alone fastening it for them. She nodded and turned to allow him access to the hooks. She shivered when his fingers brushed the back of her neck as they fastened _Perun’s Mantle_ to her armor. His hand brushed down her back as the cloak moved with it. Siobhan bit the inside of her cheek. So many mixed signals but she wouldn’t get rejected again. Professionalism would reign supreme between them, even if it killed her. She turned and felt the sinking in her chest as she realized she had to leave. She wasn’t worried about herself, but he couldn’t revive if something happened to him. The thought of something happening to him had her throat closing from the panic.

“Be careful when you and the others advance on the City? I don’t want anything to happen to any of you.” Siobhan smiled at him, even as her lips trembled from the ache in her chest. She knew they were accomplished soldiers, had gone through so many battles. It helped ease her own worry by saying the words aloud.

“I can only promise to be as careful as you will.” A shaky laugh burst from her lips. It broke the ball of worry in her chest.

“That’s what I was afraid you’d say. All right then. I’ll see you when we reclaim the City.” She stepped back from him, her cloak floated around her knees. It was time to say good-bye, and the thought he wouldn’t make it. No. She refused to think of it. A fortifying breath helped ease some of the nerves as she headed to the door. Arawn floated by her head, his body quivering as he felt the pain resonating inside his Guardian. He didn’t know how to help fix this pain, and it hurt him to feel it in Siobhan. The Hunter didn’t look back as she strode through the door, she couldn’t risk looking back. If she did, she was afraid she wouldn’t leave.

The Farm was peaceful in the early morning light. Her ship waited for her at the landing pad and she was surprised to see her fireteam and Nevia there. Warmth blossomed in her chest at the brave looks on their faces. She gave them the same watery smile she’d given Shaxx. “I have to go.” Her resolve wavered at seeing the sheen of tears in Anna’s eyes.

“We know,” Annalise told her as she reached for Siobhan’s hands. “We also know that no matter how much we argue, you’d insist on going alone.” Her lips turned up in a wobbly smile as she looked into Siobhan’s eyes. “You’re far too stubborn and selfless for your own good. You know?” Jareth slapped a hand on her back, one that sent her stumbling with a swift curse. Lilith popped out and yelled at him for ruining her hard work. He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“We’ll be with the Vanguard when it’s time to reclaim the City.” Nevia told her. Siobhan turned to face the other Hunter. They’d been through hell itself together and came across the other side. There was an unspoken bond between them, sisters in arms if not in blood. They understood each other without speaking, which made for smooth cohesion on the battlefield. Nevia understood her reasons for going when everyone else may have questioned her or claimed she was just doing it for the glory. It was just the way she was. Siobhan hated seeing people in pain when she could do something to alleviate it. After Emyr’s death, Siobhan refused to let anyone sacrifice themselves for her. Not if she could do something first.

“I can’t say be safe, I know you too well.” Siobhan flashed them all a cheeky grin. “I can say be careful. When I kick Ghaul’s ass, I’ll buy the victory drinks.” Siobhan smiled and braced for the hugs. Anna and Nevia went in first as they each took a side. Jareth just enveloped them all in his arms and lifted them in a bear hug. Despite the shrieking protests as their feet dangled.

“We’ll be looking forward to those drinks Siobhan.” Jareth told her as he set the women down. Siobhan shared one last hug with him, a desperate ‘please make it’ plea. They stepped back and watched the Nightstalker climb into the ship and head towards where the flagship was, the EDZ. Her mission would start there, and she would go on to the Almighty. The trio waited until the last of the ship left the horizon before letting the emotions show. Annalise patted Jareth’s shoulder as she fought her own tears. Nevia was furiously wiping the tears that fell down her face as she watched the ship disappear. A moment of silence fell between them, as they each struggled to harness the pain of watching Siobhan leave. The sounds of the Farm coming to life brought them back to reality. Each had their own role to play in the war, and it was now time to assume them. They all went their separate ways to prepare for the upcoming assault on the City. Their minds focused on their tasks.


	10. Chapter 10

“Hey Siobhan. Jareth and the others told me you were heading into Cabal territory. Wish we could go with you, but I may have gotten you a little surprise. Give ‘em hell for us.” Holliday’s voice was cheery over the comms as Siobhan made her way through the Cabal tunnels. She let out a happy squeal as she saw what Holliday had left for her. She did a quick little happy jig, she loved surprises like this! The tank was modified for her and she scrambled up into the cockpit, and stared down at the complex controls with a furrowed brow.

“Wait, you gave _her_ a super tank but I don’t get one? How is this even remotely fair?” Cayde’s voice over the comm channel distracted Siobhan and she gave in to the urge to laugh. He sounded so sulky about her getting a tank, she only wished it didn’t hurt to laugh. The Hunter Vanguard was truly shocked that he wasn’t going to be able to get a tank. Cayde was always one to count on to liven up the atmosphere.

“Cayde, get off Sio’s comm line. You’re just distracting her.” Nevia reprimanded Cayde and Siobhan held her side as the effort from holding back the laughter caused her wound to ache. There was no stopping the laughter, they bickered like an old married couple and it was priceless. Especially given they were a married couple. Cayde retorted back something snarky and the silence that stretched out made him realize he messed up.

“I’m lightening the mood. Aren’t I?”

“Cayde, please stop it. We are in the middle of Cabal territory.” Arawn told him in a huff. Her Ghost worried about inviting unwanted attention. That wound was still raw and if she got into a firefight. There was no telling how the wound would react in a situation where she had to scramble and run around to avoid getting hit with Cabal slugs. Even in a tank those bullets could make it to her.

“Sheesh. Everyone’s a critic.” Cayde sniffed and got off the comm line. Excitement bubbled up at the new toy even as she struggled to figure out the controls. Luckily, she had a Ghost that could hack into the controls. Her forehead lightly banged against the steering wheel as Arawn informed her that the tank required manual assistance. She had to drive. This was going to be interesting, given she could crash her Sparrow at the least provocation. The figurative keys had been taken away from her multiple times.

“Too bad this is likely a one time thing. Imagine what we could do if we had a tank instead of a sparrow.” Arawn commented as they plowed through the Cabal. He sounded so giddy about their new wheels. “Speed bump!” The Ghost cheered as she flattened a Psion.

“I can drive a Sparrow, mostly. This thing is too clunky,” Siobhan grumbled as she concentrated on driving. The controls were awkward; they pissed her off. The Cabal had to make everything complicated. _How the hell do Cabal drive these things!?_. “Why are there six pedals if there are only four directions?” Siobhan bitched as the tank made its way through the hordes of enemies. It certainly did make fighting the Cabal easier, she’d give it that. The satisfying report of the missile firing gave her a small thrill. Siobhan and Arawn both made sure to use the missile feature liberally. It was the Cabal’s ammunition, fuck conserving ammo. There were plenty of crates that could be liberated if they ran low. Siobhan blasted every single Cabal unit she saw. They maneuvered the tank out of the tunnel system and they saw the Goliath. “Well shit.” That was huge. Siobhan narrowed her eyes and wiggled in the seat as she got ready for a long battle with the Cabal tech.

“Holliday made this surprisingly sturdy.” The tank rolled away from the remains of the Goliath. Siobhan took out the group of enemy forces at the doors before she climbed out. She wasn’t about to waste her own ammo when she could use theirs. This was the end of the line for them, with the tank at least. They had to continue on foot into the ship, and Siobhan would miss the tank.

“You act like that’s such a surprise.” Holliday’s voice reached him and Arawn had the grace to apologize for it. Siobhan snorted and they headed onto the huge flagship. The smaller transportation shuttle they’d need for the trip was on the landing pad. Right in the middle of the ship. _Great. Just great._ Siobhan ducked behind crates as the hangar doors opened. First step, get the authorization code from Thumos. Second step, get to the shuttle. Third step, kick ass. It was a plan that would be approved by Cayde if he knew. Too bad Anna would inform her there were a lot of tiny details that connected the three steps together. And a whole lot of Cabal between them and the shuttle.

“We should probably just take out as many as we can.” Siobhan threw out to Arawn as they took out some of the Cabal in the room. Well placed bursts from her pulse rifle was sufficient against Legionaires.

“How do you figure?” Her Ghost stayed where he was as she dove from cover to cover. She ignored the dull ache of the wound at her side. Had no choice but to forget about it as survival took priority.

“Well, it seems that anytime I get on a ship like this… Waves of enemies will appear when I’m at a crucial point with little to no cover. So, take out as many as I can here so I’ll have fewer to fight later.” It was a solid plan, he had to agree there. The pattern was there and he wondered about that. So many enemies concentrated in one area of the ship that wasn’t a lounge or barracks area? He shook his figurative head at the thought.

“You wish.” Arawn told her as she watched one Psion’s head explode from her sidearm shot. The Incendior sailed from a second story door to land in front of them. “Well…” Arawn began as it spewed the fire at them. The enemy coated the floor with the napalm like substance and Siobhan found herself hopping from cover to cover. The bullets whizzed past her head as she jumped away from him before throwing a grenade. It took out a group of Psions but the fire still continued to stream at her.

“Someone tell this guy that the game ‘the floor is lava’ isn’t supposed to be taken so literally.” Siobhan grumbled as she got to a good spot and took aim at the tank on the back of the Incendior.

“What are you waiting on?” Arawn demanded as the tank stayed well within their sights. The Psions soon came into alignment and Siobhan fired off the shot from her sidearm. The tank exploded in a liquid fireball, taking out the four Psions and Incendior. “Oh. Good job!”

“Right. Now, let’s see if we can get to Thumos. Wonder how much back up he’ll call before we can just kick his ass?” Siobhan murmured as she and Arawn continued further into the ship. It wasn’t worth thinking about as they both knew the question was rhetorical.

“You sound like you wouldn’t want to face down hordes of angry Cabal.” His snark earned a snort from Siobhan.

“A girl can hope.” Siobhan joked as they fought through the base. They got to the control room and there stood Thumos. He towered over the duo and the Hunter felt a flicker of fear. Then she squashed it under her boot, Oyrx had been three times this guy’s size. The Templar was at least double, and she’d defeated them. Both had fallen and this guy was the one stopping her from getting to Ghaul. That thought alone chased the fear from her mind. Siobhan tightened her grip on the pulse rifle and dodged to the side as Thumos began to float in the air. She threw the grenade into the air, letting it stick to him as he floated taking that continuous damage. She dealt with the enemies that swarmed into the room, making sure to take out the heavy hitters. She’d been blasted by a Phalanx shield before, and it was not Siobhan’s idea of a good time. The Psion’s weren’t too problematic in close quarters, but a grenade took them out before she pulled out her rocket launcher.

“Siobhan…” Arawn’s warning tone rang in her ear before she fired off the first rocket at the huge Cabal. It took two rockets before the huge bastard went down. Took even longer than that for the ringing to stop in her ears. The blast had knocked her on her ass. They sat on the floor, leaning against one of the columns of the room, breathing in a moment of peace before continuing on. Her wound remained thankfully closed but the dull ache was now stinging needles. She clenched her jaw and fought through it.

“I need a vacation from this save the world bullshit.” Siobhan leaned her head back against the metal and breathed as she caught her breath. Arawn kept an eye on the wound, making sure to repair any small tears in the skin there.

“If we make it through this, I’ll find us some coordinates that have a beach.”

“Promise?”

“You bet.” Siobhan puffed out a laugh and stood slowly, hoping the aches would ease as she moved. She went over to the big jerk Thumos and got the code she needed for the shuttle. The room they entered next gave her pause.

“Is that… Fallen?” Arawn looked up at Siobhan who grinned.

“Maybe they’ll take care of it for us?” Siobhan asked before one Vandal turned and saw her. She dodged the bullet and grumbled, “Maybe not.” She scrambled for cover and had to face down Cabal and Fallen. They took them out easily enough, it was just like when the Taken and Vex were fighting. She didn’t understand why they had to team up against her, the whole enemy of my enemy bullshit didn’t seem to apply to these assholes. The next room was even worse.

“When did the Cabal get turrets!?” Siobhan yelled at Arawn as they rounded a corner, only to encounter heavy weapon fire. Arawn didn’t have an answer for her other than, _Maybe they learned from fighting you last time._ She just gave him a long suffering look and tossed a grenade at the first turret. They headed on and she dealt with the Servitor that popped up. She was seriously the unluckiest Hunter. Siobhan yelled at the Fallen in their language as they called her _sloat_. Arawn refused to translate the things she was yelling. As creative in Eliksni as she was in Common.

“This sucks balls.” Siobhan groused as she headed out to the landing pad. She took in the lay of the land and it doused her mood. “Well, let’s see. A landing pad suspended over what appears to be an infinite chasm, little to no cover, and there’s tons of crates here. Who hired their architects?” Siobhan swept her hand towards the area they needed.

“I know, I know. We need that shuttle too...” Arawn bobbed towards the one in the middle of the launch pad. Siobhan’s arm fell at her side as she deadpanned at her Ghost.

“Oh, of course we do. For once I’d like it to not be a suicide mission.” Siobhan whined as they headed towards the landing pad. The others broke over her comm line and she rolled her eyes at the mention of Cayde getting Eris a new ship. She was sorry she’d been complacent in the destruction of the ship. Eris had declined the offer of one of Siobhan’s ships, insisting it was Cayde who had to pay her back. Siobhan destroyed Oryx, that cleared her of any debt in Eris’s mind. She still missed her. While they weren’t as close, Siobhan still appreciated Eris’s advice and wisdom in fighting Hive.

The enemies came out of the woodwork. Siobhan realized she had to take out the Psions first or those shockwaves would send her over the edge. It was hilarious when she timed her jump just right and the shockwave sent two Legionaires to their death. Shadowshot took out an entire wave of enemies itself, especially as she used three arrows to anchor more enemies.

“Well, that was exciting.” Arawn joked as they flew towards the Almighty after securing the shuttle. Siobhan wasn’t as amused as the Ghost was. “Oh right. How’s the wound from the Taken?” He hadn’t been able to check on it in a while.

“I think it’s okay?” Siobhan glanced down and they saw the crimson stain spreading on her armor. She grimaced as she realized what happened, and the lecture that was coming. “Or maybe not.”

“You opened it again. Siobhan…”

“Why are you giving me that tone? I didn’t have time to be careful. Between the super tank, the guy who takes the game “floor is lava” too seriously, Thumos, and the entire room of Fallen and Cabal… Tell me when I could go easy on my wound?” Siobhan ground out between her clenched teeth as her Ghost healed the damage done. She felt guilty for opening the wound and lashed out without meaning to.

“Hopefully this will be over soon.” Arawn told her as he finished patching her up. They landed on the Almighty and she let out a low whistle at the sight. It was absolutely beautiful. The sun was so close and pulsed with solar energy, a stark contrast to the void of space framing it. They headed further into the Almighty, Siobhan taking great care to avoid the sun damage. That hurt! She had dashed from one hiding spot to another to avoid the damage.

“Why does it have to be so damn hot?” She saw Arawn about to say something. “Don’t. I know we’re next to the sun.” Her Ghost’s shell spun as he debated what to say next. “I really hope they’re ready to take on the big guy when we get this ship down.”

“As do I. Now let’s get going.” She and Arawn made a mad sprint across the exposed deck. It was hardly her most graceful sprint, and involved far more cursing than normal, but she made it past the sun’s dangerous rays and into the ship itself again.

The Cabal forces stretched out in front of Siobhan. She sighed and ignored the sharp sting at her side. No doubt that pesky wound reopened again. The pain helped her focus as Arawn gave her the next objective in the ship. Thurn was their next target after wiping out the Cabal forces. That guy was annoyingly difficult and Siobhan hated every minute of him and the Psions that popped up from across the battlefield. Asshole!

“You’d think the Psions would have a few more manners. It’s quite rude to try and attack us from the back.” Arawn remarked as Siobhan rolled to avoid another shockwave. They watched as the shockwave sent three Legionaire soldiers off the platform. “Especially when it backfires so spectacularly.” Siobhan fired off some rounds of her pulse rifle to take out the soldiers. Thurn finally went down after she took out the Psions. They headed on until they found the Interceptor. She danced a small jig again at finding it. Though it would be dangerous to drive in such a small space, if she could really call the Almighty small.

“Oh yes. Now this I know how to drive.” Siobhan cheered as they got into the Cabal mobile weapon. They drove around and destroyed the enemies and finally took on the blue turbines. “So if we destroy these turbines we have a good chance of destroying the Almighty’s engines right?”

“Just get the fusion core to this engine port.” Siobhan complained under her breath the entire time as she shoved the core into the designated port. “Now let’s get out of here.” The ship began to shake violently and Siobhan took off towards the evac point.

“Get off the ship, get off the ship.” That was the awoken’s mantra as they headed towards the exit. She was only feet away from the explosions that rocked the Almighty. At least they knew they destroyed it. Arawn barely got them off the ship in time.

“Damn, did my cloak get singed?” Siobhan grabbed it to bring it up to her face. “No? Then why do I smell burnt fabric?” She sniffed the air as she stood in her ship.

“Your butt.” Arawn informed her as she shrieked in outrage about her armor being burnt by Cabal ship. Her hand clapped against her ass, and she felt the charred material of her greaves. She went off on a rant about how hard it was to find good armor now that the Tower was down. She didn’t have a lot of spares rolling around. Arawn ignored her ranting as she changed out of her greaves. He did some last minute patch up of her wounds, including the one on her abdomen. Siobhan threw off the helmet as Arawn informed Zavala and the Vanguard they took down the Almighty. He muted out Siobhan’s swearing about her ass being singed.

“Roger that. The push for the City is a go.” Zavala told them over the comms as they headed back.

“Guess you’re going to miss all the action eh Siobhan?” Jareth’s teasing voice came over the line as Annalise shushed him.

“Very funny jackass. Stay safe until I get back.” Arawn steered them towards Earth and the Last City to join in with the assault.

“I have a feeling this won’t go the way everyone wants it to.” Arawn told her as they flew back. Siobhan shook her head as that same feeling weighed her heart.

“Me either. Let’s push it to go back.” Siobhan saw Arawn nod in response and they pushed the ship to her limits to get back.


	11. Chapter 11

“Siobhan. The forces.” The devastation of the Last City was unmistakable. Once proud buildings were rubble now. People’s livelihoods, their lives, their families, all were wrecked because some asshole Cabal wanted an ego boost. Siobhan’s hands tightened on the controls on her ship as she took it all in. So many innocent lives, gone. “What Ghaul and his Red Legion have done to our beautiful city is unforgivable.” Fury flowed through them at the sight that stretched as far as they could see. This wouldn’t go unpunished, that was a silent vow that Siobhan made to the City. To her Fireteam. To herself. The ship circled a standing building and she transmatted out.

“We’ll make him pay for every life he took.” Siobhan jumped down from the building, cushioning her landing with the jets in her armor. They raced through the streets, everything blurring together as they headed to the Vanguard. The Cabal were flattened in her rage against them, and all that they had taken from the people of the City, and those beyond its walls. The steady thrum of their machines filled her ears as she and Arawn sailed over the debris. Siobhan tried not to think about how the ruins had once been filled with people living their lives. Anger had its place on the battlefield, but she couldn’t let it consume her. That led to mistakes and mistakes led to fatal wounds. Victory was too precious to risk getting blinded by rage this time. Everyone was counting on her to make it to the Vanguard, and make it to them she would. Arawn opened the comms to help guide her to her destination. He recognized a signal and alerted her.

“Siobhan, it’s the RedJacks.” Arawn slowed as they approached one of the gates. Relief flowed through her mind, if they were here then Shaxx was okay. He wasn’t safe, no one could be. But he was okay, alive. She glanced up and saw the familiar armor and a pulse of fear shot through her chest. The Cabal Phalanx was too close and she didn’t know if Shaxx could dodge it. Panic shot through her as she felt fear for him. A vision of losing him spun through her mind and her hand reached out to him as her lips formed his name in a panic. Her feet were moving before she could think, everything focused on getting to him.

“Shaxx!” Arawn watched as the Void Light appeared at Siobhan’s will, taking the perfect shape of a bow. Time seemed to slow as his Hunter jumped into the air and fired the three consecutive shots at all the enemy forces, tethering them to one another and blinding them. The grenade finished them off, their end hastened by the shots from Shaxx’s RedJacks. She ran for him after the enemies were tethered, the need to know he was safe overwhelming her. She’d never felt a fear this acute, not even when she lost her own Light had she felt this bone deep terror. The need to reassure herself he was all right chilled her and her fingers itched to touch him.

Shaxx took out the remaining Cabal with the sword in his hand. He turned as Siobhan reached his side and felt relief that she had gotten off the Almighty in one piece. He was stunned when she slammed into him, her arms sliding around his waist and her helmet pressed against his chest. The Awoken Hunter had her arms wrapped around his waist so tightly he could feel every tremble in her body. It was humbling to know she worried so much for his safety. At one point in his life, he’d have been insulted by her worry. Seeing it as a poor reflection of his own strength, but now he saw it as it was. She cared for him to such an extent that her own safety was disregarded. He’d work with her on throwing herself into danger for her friends and those she cared about after Ghaul was defeated. Debating if he even could convince her. For now, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as tight as he dared against him. Relief swamped him at feeling her in his arms, it felt right. They both turned as the explosions rang out over the area, signaling more troops incoming. She turned to look up at him, her eyes hidden by the visor of her helm. Worry slipped under his skin like an unwelcome splinter. She was being thrown into the fire, but it would forge her into a fearsome warrior. This was a battle that tested a warrior to their limits and separated the true soldiers from the weak. A thrill went through him at the opportunity to participate in another glorious battle, even as the worry about sending her into the fray weighed down his heart. She was a competent soldier, more than competent. Siobhan took every challenge thrown at her and crushed it in her wake. The bodies littering the battlefield attested to that.

“Stay safe Shaxx.” Siobhan told him as she stepped back. She’d been out of line to hug him like that, but she’d been unable to stop herself. Hope threatened to rise but she tamped it down. Just because he returned the hug did not mean he shared her feelings. He’d been more than clear in his words about that. A few Guardians came into the area to help defend it and Siobhan stepped back. She felt the loss of his arms around her keenly. She patted his shoulder before turning to face her next destination, the final one. She felt his hand on her shoulder as she took a step and turned in surprise.

“Come back. That is an order.” Siobhan nodded and kept the smile trembling on her lips to herself. They both knew there could be no promises. The battle ahead would determine the fate of the Guardians, Siobhan would free the Traveler even if it meant sacrificing her own life. They both knew this. He released her, and it took everything in her to turn and head towards the next barrier. Her heart ached to stay with him, to fight by his side. Yet, that was not her mission for this day. Her footfalls bounced off the walls as she raced through the ruins of the City.

“Annalise!” Arawn chirped happily as they saw the Warlock take out a Psion with her sword, _Siren’s Song_. Jareth had forged it for her just as he forged the sword Siobhan wielded. They each had one that represented who they were and they fit with their personalities. Annalise had _Siren’s Song_ , Siobhan had _Siren’s Vengeance,_ and Jareth wielded _Siren’s Wrath._

“Good to see you made it back. Not that we had any doubt.” Jareth grinned as he sat on the rock and reloaded his weapon. “The Universe has tried to kill you a lot and yet you’ve spit in its face Siobhan each and every time. Do me a favor?” The note of worry in the Titan’s voice wasn’t lost on any of them. Siobhan looked over at him as Anna sheathed her sword. She inspected her scout rifle for damage before reloading it.

“What is that Jareth?” Siobhan asked.

“Keep spitting in its face.” Siobhan paused and the smile that broke over her lips was genuine and the laugh bubbled up inside of her. Only Jareth. She laughed and told him she could do that. She watched her Fireteam ready for the next wave as she headed further into the City. It was just as hard to leave them as it had been to leave Shaxx. These were her brother and sister. They’d faced down so many odds together, and now she was leaving them behind. The thought of them dying almost broke her. Arawn nudged her cheek through her helmet as they ran further in. A Sparrow would’ve been nice, but Siobhan knew the debris was too close to navigate it easily. The Vex teleporter had to be close to Ghaul’s ship, and Arawn calculated the best spot, which would likely be where the Vanguard was, and sent her the coordinates.

“I do hope the Vanguard are okay.” Arawn murmured as they approached the rooftop. Siobhan let out a choked cry as she saw them. Her feet flew over the ground as worry propelled her towards them.

“Zavala! Cayde! Ikora!” Desperation gave her voice an edge as she felt fear for them weave through her. Siobhan stopped as she saw they were still alive.

“Guardian.” Zavala began but paused. “Siobhan. We can’t continue on. It’s up to you.”

“You are the City’s last hope.” Ikora told her as Cayde rested against the railing, what was left of his arm hanging by his side. Siobhan reached towards him but he shook his head. She needed to focus, they’d be fine.

“Give him a good bullet between the eyes for us.” Cayde told her as she took a deep breath. She’d had the sense that this would always be how it would play out. There had to be a reason the Shard had chosen _her_ for giving its Light to. Perhaps it always knew that it would be her that would face Ghaul in the end. She didn’t know why it had chosen her out of all the Guardians available. There were far more skilled Guardians, more that faced danger willingly, and those that were far stronger than she was. Yet, here she was. She did know that Ghaul would _never_ win. Fury and a protective instinct for her loved ones fueled her now. That Cabal rhino was going _down_ , in the only style she knew how. Loud, flashy, and a lot of explosions. Ghaul would rue the day he ever chose to fuck with her family. Siobhan clenched her fist and nodded to the Vanguard. She stood tall and bowed in front of them as they gave her silent acknowledgment. Each wishing her good luck as she faced the teleporter.

Arawn stuck himself in her hood as they jumped through the Vex teleporter. The tingles over her skin were familiar, just like a Vex Gate. Yet she shook them off and straightened. Siobhan glanced up at the Traveler, pity twisting in her gut like a knife. It shouldn’t be chained, nothing should be chained that way. If it took everything in her to free it, the Traveler would not be caged by the next sunrise. The silent vow to free it went unheard, at least she thought it did. Siobhan made it to the top of Ghaul’s ship and her lip curled as she saw him standing in front of her, flanked by the backdrop of the caged Traveler. The Hunter faced the commander of the Red Legion forces as he began his big speech.

“Is he seriously monologuing?” Arawn whispered as Siobhan used the time to gauge the battlefield. Her skilled eyes noted the best places for cover and the best vantage points for firing her rocket launcher. There were way too many places to hide, which made her suspicious about if he was that stupid or that arrogant. She wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth, those blind spots were to his disadvantage but were her advantage. It would make things easier to keep the battle rolling in her favor. _Stupid rhino faced fucker._

“Let him talk. We both know how this will end.” Siobhan concluded her perusal of the ship and turned her bright blue eyes to Ghaul. She caught the tail end of his speech. Anger snapped in her body at the mention of knowing what sacrifice was, it burned as bright and hot as a weapons forge in her chest. This selfish asshole was spouting off to _her_ about sacrifice?

“You don’t know the first damn thing about sacrifice!” Siobhan interrupted him and surprised him into silence. “Give me a fucking break that you think you would ever become a Guardian.” Siobhan approached him on the ship, fury guiding her feet. The images of her friends, of Emyr as he led the Gorgons away in the Vault of Glass, of everyone who gave everything they had so that she could get this chance to face Ghaul all flew through her mind. “You’re too selfish to see past your non-existent nose!” Siobhan yelled at him as Arawn choked on a laugh inside her hood. Ghaul snarled as her and exploded with Light.

“Oh crap.” Arawn cried as the two ran for cover from the Nova Bombs. “Okay. So those are definitely Warlock attacks. Did he really get Light?” Arawn commented as he stayed safe in his hiding place. Siobhan took out some of the Red Legion that came to investigate and scoffed.

“More like took it. He stole the Light from Io and the Traveler. This isn’t like facing down a real Guardian. And I won’t let him win. Annalise hits way harder than this asshole ever could. Besides, did you see his _aim_  
“Well, he certainly has to work on it if he expects to hit us.” Arawn joked as they easily dodged the flaming sword of Light being thrown at them. Siobhan had to agree. She wondered what was Ghaul’s game? Was he just showing off that his stolen Light was manifesting as a Warlock’s? She grimaced and was thankful it wasn’t a Titan’s attacks. She heard the crackle of arc energy. _Crap, spoke too soon._

“Ah crap. Fist of Havoc!” Siobhan cried out as her feet scrambled against the metal ship for purchase to get away from the Titan attack. She and Arawn ducked under one of the maintenance tunnels and Siobhan debated what other attacks Ghaul would have. “Fucking _hate_ that one!”

“He had a Warlock’s blade and a Titan’s fist. Could he have a Hunter’s arrow?” Arawn asked as he glanced up at his Guardian. Siobhan shook her head, he’d used a Nova Bomb earlier. She couldn’t understand why but she was _sure_ that Ghaul would not have any form of Shadowshot. “Right, he used a Void attack for his first attack. That makes it easier for us then?” Siobhan shook her head. It wouldn’t be that easy to defeat him, her normal attacks weren’t meant for close combat with single enemies. She felt the sword at her side and knew exactly how this would play out. Her ability wasn’t meant for close combat, and she was too scared of the new manifestation to use it. The bow she acquired on Nessus wasn’t going to help here either. If she could get close to him, she could use _Siren’s Vengeance._ Show him what happened when you messed with the wrong Guardian.

“Void won’t do so much damage against him like this. My tether is best used for defensive or supportive maneuvers. In large groups of enemies it’s great, but against a lone enemy? Not the best. My sword can cut through his armor and take him out, I just have to get close enough.” Awoken and Ghost glanced at each other as they realized how dangerous that would be. He had Light now, there was a good chance that his death wouldn’t be final. Even without a Ghost. Siobhan nodded and took a deep breath. “Let’s do this Arawn.” Siobhan smiled as they raced out of the maintenance tunnel, oblivious to Ghaul’s ranting. Maybe not oblivious, but she purposely ignored everything Ghaul was saying. The guy sure loved to hear himself talk. It wasn’t even decent monologuing. She’d faced plenty of villains who had more interesting things to say than this asshole.

Siobhan ran to the center of the ship as Ghaul stood in the column of corrupted Light. The cool pull of the void soothed the raw edges of her nerves. She knew this, this was familiar. It may not be effective against Ghaul, but it could blind him. That moment of temporary blindness would be her moment to strike. She just had to make sure she didn’t miss. Her thoughts turned towards what she was protecting and it helped to channel that energy into the bow. He stopped his ranting as he saw her coming towards him. No cover, no dodging, she ran in a straight line for him with the purple light manifesting in her hand. “Remember this day Ghaul. The day a _Guardian_ sent you to your grave!” Siobhan shouted as she fired the arrow, he raised his hand to his face as the purple flash blinded him. Siobhan wasted no time, her sword was out of its sheath and she pushed it through him. It cut through armor and flesh to pierce his heart. It felt as if the anger of everyone was in the sword, not just her own. The blast sent her flying backwards, she rolled on the deck of the ship. Her sword flew from her hand but she rolled and grabbed it. Crouched and prepared for anything. His body collapsed onto the floor and she let out a victory cry. The jubilant cheer died on her lips as she saw the spirit rise from the remnants of the body. _What the actual fuck just happened?_ Siobhan shifted her grip on the sword and narrowed her eyes. Determination had her rising to her feet, the battle wasn’t over. This fight was going to take longer than she thought, but she didn’t have the first clue how to defeat something made of pure Light. Ghaul spoke to the Traveler and Siobhan felt the dread weigh her stomach down like lead. She had a bad feeling about how this would end. The Traveler began to glow and the cage cracked. She pivoted on her heel and sprinted towards the edge of Ghaul’s ship. Whatever was happening was going to suck, and she didn’t want to be around when it blew up.

“Get off the roof, get off the roof, get off the roof.” Siobhan repeated as she and Arawn ran to the edge of the ship. She’d take a freefall from the side of his ship compared to what was going on behind her.

“The ship is in transit!” Arawn told her. The Hunter leapt off the ship, her limbs outstretched towards it. She prayed her leap would be enough to reach it. Her cloak wrapped around her and she landed hard on the roof of her personal ship, rolling along the top of it. Her gloved hand caught onto it before she slid off. Arawn transmatted her into it and set a course for away from Ghaul’s ship. The cage around the Traveler cracked and then it exploded in a shower of orange glass. The debris pelted her ship, damaging the engine and navigation cores.

“Siobhan!” Arawn cried out as the ship went spiraling off. The Hunter fought the controls as the Traveler sent out a wave of Light in a single pulse, disintegrating Ghaul’s new form. The pulse sent Siobhan’s ship into a tailspin and her head cracked against the side of the cockpit. Stars burst behind her eyes as pain throbbed sharp and hot at her temple.

“Siobhan!” Her vision greyed at the edges and she struggled to retain consciousness. With a final throb at her temple, her vision went black and she fell against her pilot chair.   
“Siobhan!”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The final chapter for these two. I am happy for everyone who was along for the ride, through everything. I was happy to finally do this story justice.

“Siobhan!” Arawn called out her name, she heard him. Yet, she couldn’t open her eyes. He grew more worried. The pain made it hard for her to focus, it throbbed in a sharp pulse along the side of her head. The same side that was sticky with her blood. The Traveler, Ghaul! She opened her eyes blearily, and reached out in front of her. Arawn sent out an alarm as he fretted over his Guardian. The crash reopened the wound at her side and he’d healed it but she hadn’t woken up. “Siobhan. Please wake up!” His shell spun in concern as he saw her struggle to open her eyes. Footsteps caught his attention and he spun to see who was advancing. He’d protect his Guardian, with his own life if it came down to it.

“Lord Shaxx!” Arawn’s chirp brought the Crucible Master over to them. “She hit her head. I healed it but it’s not working. She isn’t waking up.” Shaxx knelt by the open cockpit, glancing inside to see her there. His gut clenched as he saw the blood drying on the side of her face.

The bruise spread over the side of her temple, down to her cheek. She’d cracked her head hard against something in the crash. His hands reached in and checked for any more obvious injuries. He gingerly picked her up when he was satisfied she wasn’t injured. Arawn floated by her head as she put up a weak protest.

“Easy. I’m not here to harm you.” She recognized his voice and stared up at him. “You did it. Our Light is back.” Arawn’s shell fluttered in glee at the news.

“Ghaul?” Siobhan’s words felt like ground glass. She leaned her head against his shoulder, not fighting being carried. For the moment.

“Dead.” She nodded and was content to remain silent as he headed to the Tower. The cobwebs slowly cleared and Arawn gave a tiny sigh as her head snapped up to Shaxx. Almost as if to say, here we go.

“Put me down! I can walk!” Siobhan pushed at his shoulder as mortification swept through her. He paused and looked at her. She glared at him. “I’m too heavy! Put me down!”

“No.” A simple, concise answer as he continued on as if she hadn’t said anything.

“No!? Put me down Shaxx!” Siobhan smacked his shoulder as she twisted in an effort to get down. She didn’t want anyone to see her being carried. What kind of message would that send? She knew she didn’t want rumors to surround Shaxx about his involvement with her. Frantic, nonsensical thoughts fueled by panic.

“Khalon.” Siobhan paused and looked at him.

“Excuse me?”

“My name.” Siobhan’s mind tried to catch up. She glared and smacked his shoulder again.

“I’ll use your name when you start using mine. Now put me down!” She tried to twist out of his grip, but it was no use.

“Why are you fighting? You’ll reopen that wound again Siobhan.” Kara floated by her head as she sulked.

“I don’t want to be carried into the Tower. I’m a Guardian, not some damsel that needs rescuing.” She turned her head as Kara sighed.

“Pride will be your downfall. Can you even walk with that wound?” Siobhan crossed her arms as Kara floated around her abdomen. “Arawn did a respectable job closing it up, but you need to rest to keep it that way and let it heal. Let Khalon carry you.” Kara nudged her cheek. “It’s the least he can do. You got his, our, Light back.” Kara saw the grimace on her face and wondered at what caused it.

“Fine. But, I’ll walk into the Tower with my own two feet.” Siobhan sulked as they continued in silence. She _hated_ feeling helpless. It made her feel worthless. Just like when she lost her Light. That she could fight against. This she couldn’t. There was something about wounds caused by Taken that just did a number on her body, and the Light didn’t heal them fully. Maybe it was the poison, maybe it was her. She never figured it out.

They passed by civilians celebrating in the streets and Shaxx’s familiar armor drew their attention. Siobhan panicked and tugged her cloak up and around her face. Her helm had been beyond saving. Shaxx stared down at her as Kara floated by her head curiously.

“Now what are you doing?” Siobhan grumbled about being recognized. “How is that bad?” Arawn took pity on his Guardian. He could feel the mortification rising in her mind.

“Siobhan doesn’t want anyone to see her like this. Even after we came back from Oryx’s realm, she kept her wounds as hidden as she could. Or did you think that wound on her back was fully healed then?” Kara’s shell spun in concern as Shaxx looked down at Siobhan who covered her face with her cloak. Arawn did an admirable job lying for her. A true buddy there.

“You’re lying. You’ve always been a terrible one.” Kara told Arawn. Or well, he tried. Siobhan heard the cheers and winced as Shaxx paused at the entryway. The elevator was barely functioning, but Siobhan would take her chances. She waited but he didn’t set her down as he went into the foyer.

“Put me down! Put me down!” She was practically chanting it at that point as she struggled against Shaxx. He simply adjusted his grip and got onto the elevator. “I swear by the Light Shaxx, put me down…”

“Or?” He merely tightened his hold as the elevator began its shaky ascent. Siobhan sighed and her spirit seemed to just leave. That surprised him.

“Just. Just put me down please? If you carry me in there, someone is going get the wrong idea.” It took him a moment to piece it together but he glared at the wall. “Don’t give me that look. I can feel you glaring at me. Guardians have little else to do after a major battle than to gossip while wounds are being patched up.”

“You’re worried about gossip?”

“Well, not for me. I don’t want them to gossip about you. _And_ me.” She tugged at the edge of her cloak. He didn’t know how to respond to that. The silence stretched between them, and panic licked the back of his throat. The elevator slowed as it reached the top floor and she began struggling again. “Put me down!” He was getting tired of hearing that. He tightened his grip and she glared at him. “Imagine what Cayde will say if he sees this. Please. He’ll never let me live it down!” That did give him pause. He sighed and set her down as the doors opened.

The Hunter straightened and walked into the courtyard with her head held high. She didn’t let any pain show on her face, and he had to admire that courage. The Vanguard was waiting for her and she grinned at them as they congratulated her. Cayde slung his newly repaired arm around her shoulders. “Once again, a _Hunter_ saves the day.” Zavala groaned as Ikora chuckled.

“Cayde, give Sio a break. She’s been through hell.” Nevia stepped up to his side.

“And I haven’t. My arm was ripped off I’ll have you know.” She reached up and flicked his forehead.

“What happened up there Guardian?” Zavala asked as he and Ikora waited to hear her reply. She paused to gather her thoughts. She explained as best as she could. The Vanguard Commander accepted her answer with a solemn nod. This was a gateway to change, but none of them could predict if it would be good or bad.

Shaxx watched her with the Vanguard, noting the lines around her eyes. She was in pain. Kara sighed and floated up by his head. “Dummy. You have one chance to fix the damage your big mouth caused back on the Farm. The mission’s over, so be a little honest. With her and yourself. You can’t close yourself off forever.” He glared at his Ghost, she was too cheeky. He sighed in defeat. He didn’t know quite how to label what he felt for the Hunter, but he knew he didn’t want to lose the chance to find out.

It took several hours for everyone to give Siobhan a spare moment alone. Shaxx stared up at the hideaway, far above his head. _Hunters_ … He heard Kara laughing at him as he pulled himself up towards the hiding spot. Her head poked out as she heard someone approach. “Shaxx? What are you doing?” She grabbed his arm and tugged with surprising strength.

“Siobhan, your wound!” Arawn’s alarmed yell was ignored by his Guardian. Shaxx climbed over the ledge and dusted his armor off. “It’s still closed thankfully.” He fluttered by her side and Shaxx noted she’d changed out of her armor. The stark white bandage peeked out from beneath her shirt.

“What made you climb all the way up here?” Siobhan asked as she turned back to her seat. A pile of cushions sat in the corner with a book next to them. She put the bookmark on her page and turned back around to wait for his answer.

“I wanted to speak with you privately.” She tilted her head and clasped her hands behind her back. She braced for the rejection. “I wanted to apologize. For what I said at the Farm.”

“Apologize? For what? I should be the one to apologize.” Arawn reminded her she already did in the email she sent. “Right, well. I did apologize. But you never said if you accepted or not. Do you?” She was cut off by his hand over her mouth and she glared at him.

“You talk too much.” He chuckled. “And you take the blame far too easily. Where did that come from I wonder?” The flash of pain in her eyes promised a story. One he hoped she’d tell him one day. “I gave you the wrong impression on the Farm.” She arched an eyebrow. “I regret that my words hurt you. I’m not good with them when they matter.” Panic lit her eyes and he sighed. “I don’t merely think of you as another Guardian. I don’t know what to call it, but I want to find out.” He lifted his hand from her mouth to slide his helmet off.

“Y-you don’t have to do this. It’s just because the war is over.” Disbelief wasn’t the response he expected.

“I know my own mind and heart Siobhan.” That got her attention, he noted it in his mind. She blinked at him. “I’m told I’m too focused on Crucible matters.” Kara popped out and fluttered by Siobhan’s head.

“I told him that he wouldn’t notice if the enemy invaded during a match because he’s too obsessed with it.” Siobhan stifled the giggle with her hand as Shaxx glared at his Ghost. She merely shifted her shell in imitation of a shrug.

“Right.” He turned his attention back to Siobhan, who fidgeted nervously. “I wouldn’t be telling you this if I wasn’t sure of what I wanted. Do you want to…” He didn’t get to finish before her arms were wrapped around his waist. “I want to explore what’s between us. Is this your way of saying yes?” She nodded.

“It is. I thought I messed up when I kissed you that night. I was happy that we had that friendship between us. It hurt when I thought I’d ruined it.” He placed one arm around her waist and shook his head. That was her thoughts? The email made much more sense now.

“You don’t have to worry about that with me. A kiss wouldn’t ruin what was between us. It merely made me aware of my changing feelings.” He noticed the look in her eyes, a look that promised mischief. “What’s on your mind?”

“A kiss made you aware of your changing feelings, but seeing my bare ass didn’t?” He choked and coughed as she grinned at him.

“You are as bad as Kara.”

“What’s so bad about that Khalon?” Kara huffed as she bobbed next to them. He’d almost forgotten that incident in the shower. The memory returned with a vengeance, his hand curled into a fist in her shirt. Siobhan laughed as he sighed irritably.

“Come on. You can sit and read with me then. Unless you’ve got to run some Crucible matches?” He shook his head.

“The Crucible maps need to be reclaimed. So for now, there is no Crucible.” He stepped back and dropped down onto the pillows. Siobhan grinned at how small the cushions appeared next to him. She settled down between his legs and leaned against his chest. A thought occurred to her and she twisted to face him. “Yes?”

“I just wanted to do one thing.” He raised a brow in question before she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. His hands tightened on her hips as he leaned into the kiss. She leaned back and grinned up at him. “Speechless?” Her teasing tone ended in a squeal as he lifted her and rolled. She laughed as she put her hands on his chest. Arawn appeared next to them and was in full on lecture mode.

“That was the _third_ time I’ve healed that wound in the last twenty-four hours! Knock it off!!!” Siobhan held her side as it began to ache from her laughter. Shaxx tried to look contrite but it was hard. Her Ghost looked like a mother hen flustered about her baby chicks. Kara sided with Arawn.

Siobhan reached up for his face, brushing her palms against his cheeks. She tugged him down for a gentle kiss. “There’ll be plenty of time.” He sighed and knew she was right. They’d been through hell together, and came out the other side changed and stronger. He settled down next to her, tugging her against his chest. She curled up happily. There would be plenty of time for them, now that he wasn’t letting her go.


End file.
